Body Composition Analysis

WHAT IS YOUR FAT%?

How are you made up?

Did you know that, just as carrying excess body fat is associated with increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome, too little body fat can be bad as well?  Some fat is essential and some is, well, storage!  But when women have less than 20%, or men have less than 8% body fat, the risk of reproductive, circulatory, and immune system disorders increases. These percentages nudge up a little as you get older, so that for women over 61 years of age 24-36% body fat is considered healthy and for men this is 13-25%

You can work out your body fat percentage (the percentage of your weight that is fat).  There are several ways to calculate your body fat percentage, including skin-fold measurements, other anthropometric methods – such as body displacement tanks and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).

BioImpedence Analysis

Body composition analysis (sometimes called Bioimpedence Analysis (BIA)) was originally developed for monitoring patients well-being – as determined by body composition – in hospitals. The assessment is made via measuring conductivity via leads that are applied to your hands and feet – similar to the way an ECG is taken.  The data obtained gives valuable insight into aspects of your health such as how much fat and muscle you have in your body.  Changes over time can also be assessed.
People who may benefit from a body composition analysis include those who want to:

  • Manage their weight more effectively.
  • Set clear goals.
  • Increase muscle tone and fitness.
  • Improve energy levels.
  • Age in a healthy way
  • Support the nutrition and health of their cells.

Your current health and goals for the future are taken into consideration by your practitioner, who will design a programme to maximise your energy and ensure that your body is ageing as healthily as possible.

What Can We Measure with Body Composition Analysis?

  • Body Fat % and Fat Weight*
  • Lean Mass % and Body Lean Mass
  • Total Weight
  • Body Water % and Body Water
  • Plus Normal Levels
  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
  • Average Daily Calorie Requirement
  • Body Mass Index – Plus Normal Range
  • Waist/Hip Ratio
  • Impedance Values at 50kHz

How much does it cost?

If you just want a BIA assessment, a 1/2 hour appointment will be adequate. The Body composition analysis incurs a small fee in addition to the consultation.  As part of getting started on a weight loss program, this can be conducted within your first (one-hour) appointment. Costs of appointments vary according to the practitioner – see our Professional Fees page. This service is offered by Sharon Erdrich.

How do I find out more?

If you want to take the next step to improving your health and well being, call or email us for an appointment today, or scroll down to make a booking now.

You Can Transform Weight Loss into Fat Loss with BIA

Did you know that losing weight on a typical low calorie diet may actually be burning away muscle, not fat? Studies have shown that fat loss on a low calorie diet might only make up just over half of the total weight loss. Muscle loss means you will have fewer mitochondria to burn energy and a lower metabolic rate, making it all too easy for rebound weight gain to occur.

Book a consultation for Bio-Impedance Analysis test (BIA) to achieve an accurate assessment of your body composition including muscle mass, body fat, and fluid levels and to monitor your weight loss.

Your progress will be monitored and results charted over time allowing you to ‘see’ as well as feel your health improvement. 

What will I receive?

We will assess your health, perform a quick BIA test and then design a strategy to improve key areas. We can also monitor your results over time, so that you can see how your health is improving. Your health is your greatest asset – discuss what you can do to optimise this with us today.  Your results will be recorded and can be compared with new data from subsequent analyses, to chart your progress..

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Is it Scientific?

YES!  Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis has been correlated most frequently against hydrostatic (underwater) weighing, bone densitometry (DEXA), or isotope dilution as the “gold standard”. Most commercial devices machines are supplied with proprietary prediction equations the details of which are hidden from the user within the software of the machine. In addition, many prediction algorithms have been published in the bio-medical press. All prediction equations include height, as a surrogate measure for the inter-electrode distance, but may also include, weight, sex or age as variables. Many studies have been undertaken not only to validate particular prediction equations but also to identify other variables which may improve the quality of the predictor. The overall precision of any given prediction equation is the sum of the precisions associated with each independent variable.

Today there are thousands of published scientific papers worldwide validating the use of body composition analysis technology for numerous medical and health/fitness applications.

How does it work?

Here’s the technical explanation:

Body composition analysis (Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis) measures the impedance or resistance to the flow of a safe, low-level electric current through the body fluids contained mainly in the lean and fat tissue. Impedance is low in lean tissue, where intra-cellular and extra-cellular fluid and electrolytes are primarily contained, but high in fat tissue. Impedance is thus proportional to body water volume (TBW). In practice, a small constant current, typically 400 uA at a fixed frequency, usually 50 kHz, is passed between electrodes spanning the body and the voltage drop between electrodes provides a measure of impedance. Prediction equations, previously generated by correlating impedance measures against “gold standard” estimates of Total Body Water (TBW) such as deuterium dilution, may be used subsequently to convert a measured impedance to a corresponding estimate of TBW. Lean body mass is then calculated from this estimate using an assumed hydration fraction for lean tissue (NOTE: Bodystat is unique in using their own regression equation for this calculation and not the assumed 73.2% used by other manufacturers).

Fat mass is calculated as the difference between body weight and lean body mass.

Proprietary prediction equations, developed by correlating impedance measures against a “gold standard” such as deuterium dilution, convert the impedance measurement into a corresponding value of Total Body Water (TBW). Lean body mass (FFM) is then calculated from this value using a hydration fraction for lean tissue. Fat mass is calculated as the difference between body weight and lean body mass.

The impedance of a biological tissue comprises two components, the resistance and the reactance. The conductive characteristics of body fluids provide the resistive component, whereas the cell membranes, acting as imperfect capacitors, contribute a frequency-dependent reactive component. By measuring the impedance at 5 kHz and 200 kHz and by applying predictive equations, it is possible to estimate both Extra-Cellular Water (ECW) and TBW respectively and by deduction, Intra-Cellular Water (ICW). By measuring the impedance at 5 kHz and 200 kHz, and by applying predictive equations, it is possible to measure both Extra-Cellular Water (ECW) and TBW respectively; and by deduction, Intra-Cellular Water (ICW). ECW can be related to extra-cellular mass (ECM) and ICW to Body Cell Mass (BCM).


If you want to take the next step to improving your health and wellbeing, book a consultation for Bio-Impedance Analysis test (BIA) using the BodyStat1500  to achieve an accurate assessment of your body composition including muscle mass, body fat, and fluid levels and to monitor your weight loss.
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