Sizing up New Technology to Better Assess Body Composition

"There are several field and laboratory techniques for measuring body composition, but few are accurate, comfortable, non-invasive and do not require a highly trained technician," said Steve Ball, associate professor of exercise physiology in the University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences. Two of the most effective laboratory methods for assessing body composition are dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, pronounced "dexa"), which is considered the "gold standard"; and the Bod Pod, which measures air displacement and body volume. The 3-D body scanner, originally developed to measure clothing sizes, is a new method that might be a more cost-effective system to measure body fatness. No previous study has compared body composition measurements from the 3-D body scanner to DXA or the Bod Pod to determine its efficacy.

Credit: University of Missouri News Bureau

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