METHODS OF BODY-COMPOSITION ANALYSIS - THE STATUS OF THE GOLD STANDARD

The prevention treatment and comprehension of disease processes can be advanced with improved methods for assessing changes in body composit ion. Recently developed methodology has expanded our capacity to quant ify body constituents and has stimulated a trend away from the two-com partment model (fat mass and fat-free mass) for describing body compos ition. As these advances take place, the ''gold standard'' for measuri ng living human subjects will likely shift from the frequently relied upon underwater weighing method to techniques that further divide the fat-free mass. New and widely used techniques for quantifying various body compartments are described.