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Human body composition: yesterday, today, and tomorrow

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 72, pages 1201–1207 (2018)Cite this article

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The composition of the body, at any point in time, captures the outcome of all prior influences upon human physiology that have led to the accumulation of all these different constituents up to that point [1]. Other than the underlying genetic milieu, principal among these influences are nutrition and illness. Body composition represents an historic record of life’s balance of energy and nutrient intake. When nutritional intake is mismatched to requirement change in body composition occurs. For example, it has long been recognised that inadequate nutrition may lead to altered body composition as seen in wasting and stunting [1], while, conversely, over-nutrition leads to obesity particularly in children in populations undergoing nutritional transition [2]. Similarly, body composition may be adversely affected by ill-health, e.g., surgical trauma may lead to short-term loss of lean mass while long-term infection with tuberculosis is associated with wasting [3]. The composition of the body, as well as being a reflection of nutritional experience, is also a gauge of body function. Optimal bodily functioning and good health demand a body composition that provides the ideal masses of tissues and organs that support the physiological and biochemical processes that underpin a healthy life. These two factors are not independent; nutrition impacts upon body composition which in turn impacts on bodily function. Knowledge of body composition provides insights into both nutritional status and functional capacity of the human body.

The analysis of body composition has a long and rich history (those interested in a detailed account of the history of body composition analysis are referred to Wang et al. [4]). The first quantitative studies of the human body date to early cadaver analyses in the 1840s. The obvious drawback of cadaver analysis is that it can only be undertaken at time of death and can only provide retrospective information. Since the early part of the 20th century, few cadaver studies have been undertaken, with the notable exception of the work of Clarys and colleagues [5], and the focus has been on the development of technologies for the quantitative assessment of body composition in vivo (Table 1). One of the first measurements, by Shaffer and Coleman in 1909 [4], was the estimation of muscle mass from the measurement of the excretion rate of creatinine, but the real advance came with the availability of isotopes of atoms of nutritional interest.

Table 1 Characteristics of techniques used for body composition analysis
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  1. School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Leigh C. Ward

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Ward, L.C. Human body composition: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Eur J Clin Nutr 72, 1201–1207 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0210-2

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