▁various ▁attempts ▁to ▁correlate ▁physical ▁with ▁ra cial ▁and ▁psych ological ▁tra its . ▁Anth rop ometry ▁involves ▁the ▁system atic ▁measurement ▁of ▁the ▁physical ▁properties ▁of ▁the ▁human ▁body , ▁primarily ▁dimensional ▁descript ors ▁of ▁body ▁size ▁and ▁shape . ▁Since ▁commonly ▁used ▁methods ▁and ▁approaches ▁in ▁anal ys ing ▁living ▁standards ▁were ▁not ▁helpful ▁enough , ▁the ▁anth rop ometric ▁history ▁became ▁very ▁useful ▁for ▁histor ians ▁in ▁answering ▁questions ▁that ▁interested ▁them . ▁ ▁Today , ▁anth rop ometry ▁plays ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁in ▁industrial ▁design , ▁cl othing ▁design , ▁erg onom ics ▁and ▁architecture ▁where ▁statistical ▁data ▁about ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁body ▁dimensions ▁in ▁the ▁population ▁are ▁used ▁to ▁optimize ▁products . ▁Ch anges ▁in ▁l ifest yles , ▁nut r ition , ▁and ▁eth nic ▁composition ▁of ▁populations ▁lead ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁body ▁dimensions ▁( e . g . ▁the ▁rise ▁in ▁ob es ity ) ▁and ▁require ▁regular ▁updating ▁of ▁anth rop ometric ▁data ▁collections . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁anth rop ometry ▁includes ▁and ▁sp ans ▁various ▁concepts , ▁both ▁scientific ▁and ▁pseud os cient ific , ▁such ▁as ▁c ran i ometry , ▁pale o anth rop ology , ▁bi ological ▁anth rop ology , ▁phr en ology , ▁phys i ogn omy , ▁for ens ics , ▁cr imin ology , ▁ph y lo ge ography , ▁human ▁orig ins , ▁and ▁c ran io - fa cial ▁description , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁correl ations ▁between ▁various ▁anth