Body Composition Overview

Body Composition

• Body composition describes the proportion of fat, bone, muscle, water, protein, minerals, and other components in the body.
• It offers a more accurate health assessment than BMI, considering the various components.

Body Composition Components

• Water: Present in fat, muscles, blood, and bodily fluids.
• Protein: Found in muscles, organs, and bones.
• Minerals: Primarily located in the bloodstream and bones.
• Fat: Stored energy, protects organs, insulates, and regulates temperature.
• Fat Mass (FM): Fat used for energy storage, organ protection, insulation, and temperature regulation.
• Fat-Free Mass (FFM): Includes organs, muscle, and water.

Maintaining Body Composition

• Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is crucial for long-term health. Excessive levels in either direction are generally undesirable.

Measuring Body Composition

Methods of Measuring Body Composition

• Skin Calipers:
  • Pros: Affordable, portable.
  • Cons: Requires expertise, best for lean individuals, uncomfortable.
• Digital Image Analysis App:
  • Pros: Simple, readily available, inexpensive.
  • Cons: Questionable accuracy.
• Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) Scan:
  • Pros: Highly accurate, provides segmented body composition analysis.
  • Cons: Requires a lab visit, expensive.
• Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA):
  • Pros: Easy, affordable, self-operated.
  • Cons: Affected by hydration levels.
• Hydrostatic Weighing (HW): (Potential method)
• Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): (Potential methods)
• BOD PODS (Air Displacement Plethysmography): (Potential method)

Visceral Fat

• Visceral fat, located around the midsection/trunk, is positively correlated with obesity-related diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.