Appropriate technology in body composition: a brief review.

This paper attempts to link the particular method to be used for body composition measurements to the objectives of the study. There is often inadequate attention paid to the real requirement for different degrees of precision, and excessive amounts of time and labour are spent on quite unnecessary minutiae of technology. Special attention is paid to bio-electrical impedance, skinfold thicknesses, stable isotope techniques, and methods for assessing fat distribution.