In vivo body composition studies in malnourished patients

The establishment of an in vivo TBN facility at Lucas Heights, together with measurement techniques for whole body and extracellular water, is leading to an expanded interest in the relationships between clinical status, body composition and dietary regimes. The ANSTO program provides the opportunity for the first quantitative assessments of these factors in Australia. Body composition studies provide a common link with other-wise unrelated physiological or psychological diseases, and a pool of normal data is being established. Substantial improvements in patient care and quality of life should result from this project, together with a deeper understanding of the importance of body composition in disease-induced malnutrition