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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Western Human Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #294448

Title: Body composition throughout the lifecycle: The role of dairy foods

Author
item Van Loan, Marta

Submitted to: Irish Nursing and Midwifery
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2013
Publication Date: 7/1/2013
Citation: Van Loan, M.D. 2013. Body composition throughout the lifecycle: The role of dairy foods. Irish Nursing and Midwifery. 21(6):21.

Interpretive Summary: There is an ongoing concern about the degree of obesity world-wide and the implications for health outcomes. Body mass index (BMI) is used as the measure for the classification of overweight and obesity. However, this index does not represent actual body fat levels or the amount of active lean body mass. This review paper presents an overview of the components of body composition such as water, muscle, bone, and fat and how they change during growth and development, through adolescence, and the maintenance throughout adult and elder years. The role of nutrition in the development and maintenance of appropriate body composition components focuses on dietary protein and the role of dairy foods to achieving adequate protein intake.

Technical Abstract: There is an ongoing concern about the degree of obesity world-wide and the implications for health outcomes. Body mass index (BMI) is used as the measure for the classification of overweight and obesity. However, this index does not represent actual body fat levels or the amount of active lean body mass. This review paper presents an overview of the components of body composition such as water, muscle, bone, and fat and how they change during growth and development, through adolescence, and the maintenance throughout adult and elder years. The role of nutrition in the development and maintenance of appropriate body composition components focuses on dietary protein and the role of dairy foods to achieving adequate protein intake.