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 composition. Recently developed methodology has expanded our capacity to quantify body constituents and has stimulated a trend away from the two-compartment model (fat mass and fat-free mass) for describing body composition. As these advances take place, the "gold standard" for measuring 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.