Body Composition Monitors - the lowdown!
What is Body Composition exactly and how is it calculated?
The human body is made of water, fat, proteins, sugars, and various vitamins and minerals. Maintaining these substances in the proper ratios is essential for a healthy life. One component of particular importance is body fat. Too much fat places you at risk for diseases such diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Too little fat can indicate a serious health problem that needs to be addressed.
What is BMI?
BMI or Body Mass Index is a method of estimating a person's body fat levels based upon a person's weight and height measurement. While the BMI calculation is an indirect measurement, it has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of body fat measures in most people. Research on BMI calculations find a strong correlation with other, more complicated direct measurements of body fat levels, including underwater weighing. Because BMI is a simple calculation, anyone can use it to determine health risk due to excess body fat levels.
Other Body Fat Measurement Methods
There are several different methods of assessing the percent of fat and lean mass of an individual. These methods are referred to as Body Composition Analysis. Some of the most common measurements include skinfold thickness, underwater weighing, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing or hydrodensitometry is complex and complicated so most experts use simple skinfold thickness measurements to determine body fat percent.
Bioelectrical impedance is another common method of assessing body fat percentage. This method determines total body weight, the percent and amount of body fat, muscle mass, water, and even bone mass. While the readings can be affected by hydration level and other factors, they provide fairly accurate readings over time.
How is BMI Calculated?
BMI is a mathematical calculation that compares weight to height. BMI calculator programs are online but if you can't find one a pencil, paper, and calculator will do fine. To find your BMI, do the following calculations: The BMI is equal to the body weight in kilograms divided by body height in meters squared (kg/m x m) To find your weight in kilograms you divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 (lbs/2.2)
To find your height in meters divided your height in inches by 39.4 (inches/39.4)
Let's do a sample calculation:
A man 5 feet 6 inches tall weighs 185 pounds. His BMI is calculated in this manner: His height equals 66 inches. Divide that by 39.4 and the result is 1.68 meters
His weight equals 185 pounds. Divide that by 2.2 and the result is 84.1 kilograms
His BMI equals 84.1kg divided by 1.68 squared (1.68 x 1.68) or a BMI of 29.8
But now that we have the BMI, in the case of our example a BMI of 29.8, what does that number mean?
What Does the BMI Result Mean?
The National Center for Health Statistics has conducted studies regarding BMI and has formulated these BMI levels and what they mean. BMI values less than 18.5 - considered underweight (as is the case in wasting syndrome).
BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 - considered healthy and normal.
A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 - considered overweight. This range corresponds to about 10 percent over ideal body weight, meaning there is an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
A BMI of 30.0 to 40.0 - considered obese or approximately 30 pounds over ideal body weight. At this level, the risk of heart disease rises.
A BMI of greater than 40 - considered extremely obese with a very high risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Why Choose a Body Composition Monitor?
A BCM offers you much more than a traditional weighing scale. While it is important to monitor your weight, there are other internal factors that give you a better idea of your overall health. Using it’s sensor technology the monitor will give you accurate readings for your body fat percentage, Visceral fat level and skeletal muscle percentage. A bcm is simple to use and offers accurate results making it a perfect fitness tool to use any time in the comfort of your own home.
Chewing the fat……. What you need to know
What is Body Fat?
Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function effectively but too much fat can have a detrimental effect to your overall health. Studies have shown that a high level of fat in particular visceral fat, increases the risk of developing more serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. The level of body fat you should have will vary depending on age and sex, this chart indicates what level band you should be in depending on these factors.
What is visceral fat?
Visceral fat or ‘central obesity’ is used to describe the fat that’s located inside the peritoneal cavity, that is your mid section around your waist. Rather than being located directly under the skin as subcutaneous fat this ‘Visceral fat can be found in between your internal organs many of which are situated in this cavity. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between high levels of visceral fat and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well as other medical conditions. The bcm will give you a reading between 30 levels, to indicate your level of visceral fat, a normal reading would be between 1 and 9with a reading higher than 15 being very high.
What is Subcutaneous fat?
Subcutaneous fat not only accumulates around the stomach but also around the upper arms, hips and thighs, and can cause a distortion of the bodies proportions. Although not directly linked to increased risk of disease, it is thought to increase pressure on the heart and lead to other complications.The monitor does not display subcutaneous fat uniquely, but it is included in the body fat percentage reading as a whole.
How can you reduce your body fat?
The best way to reduce your overall body fat percentage is to take regular exercise and eat healthily. Using a bcm such as the Omron BF510 or the Tanita BC545 will give you accurate results so you can monitor your progress on a fitness regime or simply keep a check on your general health.
What is skeletal muscle mass?
Muscle is divided into two types, muscle in internal organs, such as the heart, and skeletal muscle attached to bones that is used to move the body. Skeletal muscle can be increased through exercise and other activity. Increasing the ratio of skeletal muscle means that the body can burn energy more easily, which means that it is less likely to turn to fat, and makes it easier to lead an energetic lifestyle and keep your weight at an optimal level. It essentially speeds up your metabolism.
The science bit…. body fat has low electricity conductivity
The BCM measures the bodies fat percentage by using the Bio-electrical Impedance (BI) method. Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues with higher water content that conducts electricity easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The body composition monitor sends an extremely weak electrical current through your body to determine the amount of fat tissue. This weak electrical current is NOT felt. In order for the scale to determine body composition, it uses the electrical impedance, along with your height, weight, age and gender information to generate results based on pre-determined data of body composition.
And finally In short owning a body composition monitor is an easy and practical way to monitor your health at home...