Body composition studies in premenopausal healthy women

Body composition studies of healthy premenopausal women were performed using dual photon absorptiometry and the results compared with fat estimates obtained from skinfold measurements, body mass index, and bioelectrical impedance. Total body bone mineral did not decline with age nor did the fraction of lean body mass occupied by the skeleton, which ranged from 4-10%. DPA values for fat were significantly higher than those obtained by other techniques, in part because of calibration but also because of apparent inadequate correction for the fraction of lean body mass occupied by bone in the assumptions made for the other techniques.