Fat, water and tissue solids of the whole body less its bone mineral

Abstract

Except for bone mineral, the body is shown to belong to the same water:fat:protein system as its soft tissues. Hence, an equation verified with a variety of freshly isolated tissues can be used to estimate the body fat and the so-called total tissue solids. On the average, there are 0.784 kg of water/kg of body weight less bone mineral and fat. However, this water content probably fluctuates between extremes of 0.816 and 0.752, in accordance with the time elapsing since imbibing much water. This causes the density of the tissues in the fat-free, bone mineral-free body to range from 1.050 to 1.071. Combined simultaneous measurements of water, density and bone mineral, therefore, are required for the estimation of fat and tissue solids. Bone mineral occurs in the proportion of about one part to three parts of tissue solids, irrespective of ranges in quantities of fat and water among 30 healthy persons. Submitted on June 15, 1959