Pediatric body composition in clinical studies: which methods in which situations?

There is currently much interest in the subject of pediatric obesity. Accurate measures of body composition are required given the potential influence of variables such as growth, metabolic rate, physical activity, and physical fitness. Because boys and girls have a different growth pattern, gender is a fundamental consideration when measuring children and assessing body composition. The central aim of this paper is to review methods of pediatric body composition assessment that can provide new insights for clinical practice.