[Measurement of human body composition: in vivo techniques and related evaluation].

The in vivo techniques for studying human body composition have built up an important field and are continuing to be developed. This review provides an overview of the present status of this field and describes the in vivo techniques used in mearsuring human body composition such as anthropometry, metabolites method, densitometry, dilution method, total body potassium, neutron activation analysis, bioelectrical impedance analysis, dual energy X ray absorptiometry and imaging method. The review also introduces the principle, method and value of these techniques.