Body Composition Analysis: What Is It?

Body composition analysis describes the various methods for analyzing the makeup of one’s body. A doctor can measure and calculate different components of a patient’s body, such as fat, proteins, water, and minerals. Doctors can follow changes in the percentages to determine if a patient is gaining or losing muscle mass or fat mass. They can, thus, use it to determine the effectiveness of a patient’s training regimen.

Body composition analysis is a far more accurate way of determining someone’s fitness than the Body Mass Index or BMI. People calculate BMI simply by dividing their weight by their height, which doesn’t take into account how much of that weight is muscle and how much is fat. BMI, in fact, is notorious for mislabeling athletes and other muscular people as overweight or even obese. Muscle is actually denser and heavier than fat, so a muscular person will weigh more than a less muscular person.

By contrast, the various body composition analysis methods do consider the percentage of body fat (PBF) in a patient’s body.

A Closer Look at Fat

The phrase “skinny fat” describes a patient who has a normal weight or is even underweight but has a high PBF. They also usually have a low muscle mass. A normal PBF ranges from 10 to 20 percent in men and 18 to 28 percent in women. A skinny fat person will have a higher than normal PBF even if they look normal and aren’t overweight.

The health risks of obesity are well-known, but having too little body fat is also bad for you. It can cause various health problems. In sum, humans need some body fat to maintain health. Body composition analysis helps people find the needed balance between their body’s components to reach optimal health.

What is the InBody Analysis Machine?

The InBody Analysis Machine is the device Androgenix uses when conducting a body composition analysis. It is made by InBody, a company based in the United States that makes body composition measuring tools for both doctors and patients. The device will measure and calculate the percentages of the patient’s body fat, water, proteins, and minerals. It will then generate a sheet of paper describing the results. The entire process takes very little time. A patient who is following a weight loss program or similar health improvement regimen can use the information provided to monitor their progress.

*Unless otherwise stated, individual results may vary depending on many factors not all patients “feel” or achieve the same results.

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