Anthropometry provides one of the most portable, least-invasive measures of health and has long been used by biological anthropologists to document patterns of human well-being. In addition, these simple measures are predictive of an individual's future well-being. It is known that genes strongly influence growth, but their effect is mediated by environmental factors such as diet, disease, and psychosocial stress. As such, anthropometry provides an excellent proxy measure of the environment in which one lives. Anthropometric data are inexpensive to collect and analyze. Anthropometry is not limited to contemporary populations. This tool has been used by anthropologists to track changes in health over long periods of time and to better understand the environmental challenges faced by our ancestors.