The DOI matches its Crossref record; 48 of the 49 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Assessment methods in human body composition
Open accessAbstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present study reviews the most recently developed and commonly used methods for the determination of human body composition in vivo with relevance for nutritional assessment. RECENT FINDINGS: Body composition measurement methods are continuously being perfected with the most commonly used methods being bioelectrical impedance analysis, dilution techniques, air displacement plethysmography, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and MRI or magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Recent developments include three-dimensional photonic scanning and quantitative magnetic resonance. Collectively, these techniques allow for the measurement of fat, fat-free mass, bone mineral content, total body water, extracellular water, total adipose tissue and its subdepots (visceral, subcutaneous, and intermuscular), skeletal muscle, select organs, and ectopic fat depots. SUMMARY: There is an ongoing need to perfect methods that provide information beyond mass and structure (static measures) to kinetic measures that yield information on metabolic and biological functions. On the basis of the wide range of measurable properties, analytical methods and known body composition models, clinicians and scientists can quantify a number of body components and with longitudinal assessment, can track changes in health and disease with implications for understanding efficacy of nutritional and clinical interventions, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in clinical settings. With the greater need to understand precursors of health risk beginning in childhood, a gap exists in appropriate in-vivo measurement methods beginning at birth.
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“Additionally, incorporating blood variables such as lipid profile, glucose levels, and inflammatory markers can offer insights into metabolic health and obesity-related risks beyond what BMI alone can provide [62].”
From Advantages and Limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) to Assess Adult Obesity (2024) · cites this paper as [62]
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Cites
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“At the organizational level, a five-level model [1] was developed in which the body can be characterized at five levels thus providing a structural framework for studying human body composition that goes beyond an individual compartment or level.”
BackgroundBody fluid volume determination via body composition spectroscopy in health and disease
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THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF HEALTHY MEN
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Self-citationQuantitative magnetic resonance (QMR) method for bone and whole-body-composition analysis
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Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
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Comparison of Three Bioelectrical Impedance Methods with DXA in Overweight and Obese Men
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“Validity of BIA is also influenced by sex, age, disease state, race or ethnicity [7], and level of fatness in which TBW and relative ECW are greater in obese individuals compared with normal-weight individuals; and type of BIA system in which SF-BIA was found to have better absolute agreement than multifrequency BIA w…”
ResultBMI compared with 3-dimensional body shape: the UK National Sizing Survey
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“By differentiating between ECW and ICF spaces, BIS can provide an estimate of body cell mass (BCM) [5].”
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“In addition to providing information on fat mass, multifrequency BIA (frequencies up to 300 kHz) may have an added advantage over SF-BIA (50 kHz) for evaluating leg skeletal muscle [6].”
BackgroundBioimpedance spectroscopy technique: intra-, extracellular, and total body water
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“In normal-weight persons, there is reasonable evidence to conclude that BIS can accurately measure TBW and ECW [10,11].”
BackgroundInfluentialValidation of a Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Method for Measuring Human Body Composition
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Age-Related Changes in Intramyocellular Lipid in Humans by in vivo 1H-MR Spectroscopy
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“Validity of BIA is also influenced by sex, age, disease state, race or ethnicity [7], and level of fatness in which TBW and relative ECW are greater in obese individuals compared with normal-weight individuals; and type of BIA system in which SF-BIA was found to have better absolute agreement than multifrequency BIA w…”
ResultRELIABILITY OF AIR DISPLACEMENT PLETHYSMOGRAPHY
Anderson, D. E. (2007) · The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/00124278-200702000-00030 · Cited by 51
Stefan, N., Machann, J., Schick, F., Claussen, C. D., Thamer, C., Fritsche, A., & Häring, H. (2005) · Hormone Research in Paediatrics · doi:10.1159/000089316 · Cited by 48
THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF HEALTHY MEN: BODY WEIGHT + VOLUME AS AN INDEX OF OBESITY
Behnke, A. R., Feen, B. G., & Welham, W. C. (1995) · Obesity Research · doi:10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00152.x · Cited by 44
Simulated Change in Body Fatness Affects Hologic QDR 4500A Whole Body and Central DXA Bone Measures
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Whole body MR imaging: Applications in oncology
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Validation of a three-frequency bioimpedance spectroscopic method for body composition analysis
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Clasey, J. L., & Gater, D. R. (2005) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2005.06.013 · Cited by 39
Body Composition of Obese Subjects by Air Displacement Plethysmography: The Influence of Hydration
Carvennec, M. L., Fagour, C., Adenis-Lamarre, E., Perlemoine, C., Gin, H., & Rigalleau, V. (2007) · Obesity · doi:10.1038/oby.2007.533 · Cited by 32
Wosje, K. S., Knipstein, B. L., & Kalkwarf, H. J. (2006) · Journal of Clinical Densitometry · doi:10.1016/j.jocd.2006.03.016 · Cited by 31
Reliability and validity of the lung volume measurement made by the BOD POD body composition system
Davis, J. A., Dorado, S., Keays, K. A., Reigel, K. A., Valencia, K. S., & Pham, P. H. (2006) · Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging · doi:10.1111/j.1475-097x.2007.00713.x · Cited by 30
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“A study [9] involving HIV-negative and HIV-positive breast-feeding South African mothers reported that multifrequency BIA or BIS provided values that compared favorably to values obtained by dilution technique for TBW, FFM, and fat mass whereas BMI did not.”
ResultSawada, K., Morishige, K., Ohmichi, M., Nishio, Y., Yamamoto, T., Hayakawa, J., Mabuchi, S., Isobe, A., Sasaki, H., Sakata, M., et al. (2006) · Maturitas · doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2006.08.006 · Cited by 18
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Assessing Adiposity: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
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A Randomized Trial of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Adolescent Body Weight
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“In addition, the evidence of change in central adiposity is largely limited to an indirect measure (waist circumference) because of insufficient number of studies applying gold-standard instruments (CT and MRI) for assessing regional-specific changes in trunk fat or visceral fat.”
InfluentialLean Tissue Imaging: A New Era for Nutritional Assessment and Intervention
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“Another option is dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), which is an acceptable reference technique for assessing whole body and appendicular body composition [6,7].”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Lee, S. Y., & Gallagher, D.
- Affiliations
- Inje University (KR)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gallagher, Dympna
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care
- Published
- 2008-09
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 566-572
- ISSN
- 1363-1950 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2741386
- OpenAlex
- W2044952536
- Cited by
- 694
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 55 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 57 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 42 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 27
- FWCI
- 2.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK072507, DK72507)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD042187, HD42187)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Body Composition Measurement Techniques
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV-related health complications and treatments
- Keywords
- body composition, nutritional assessment, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dilution method, air displacement plethysmography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, quantitative MRI, fat-free mass, bone mineral content, total body water, extracellular water, adipose tissue depots, visceral fat, subcutaneous adipose tissue, intermuscular fat, ectopic fat, skeletal muscle
- MeSH terms
- Body Composition, Diagnostic Imaging, Female, Humans, Male, Nutrition Assessment, Electric Impedance
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