Body Composition Test


It is difficult to say if the weight a person has is normal or not, because the perfect weight is built of several factors: height, body frame, muscle and bone mass, etc. This is why two persons with the same numbers on the scales might look significantly different and even if their height is the same, one would look slim with good muscle lines while the other one is puffed with fat.

Body composition tests give detailed information on the weight of any person. They take into consideration all the elements the body is made up of: water, protein, carbohydrate and nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

Obesity is a major problem of the modern society which leads to a lot of heath complications: high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, high cholesterol and others. Body composition test gives knowledge of the right weight and with it the person can achieve the successful weight loss which lowers the risk of all the above mentioned troubles.

There are three measurements for body composition: waist circumstance, body mass index or BMI and waist-to-hip ratio. The last one is not used any more because it has been proven to be not as accurate as the other two.

Body mass index is the correlation between person’s height and weight. It is the best way to figure out the amount of body fat for most people. BMI comes up in kg/m2 where weight is shown in kilograms and height in square meters. According to the National Center for Health Statistics:

•    BMI lower than 18.5 is considered underweight.
•    BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy.
•    Everything above 25.0 point is considered overweight. The people with high numbers are at risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Obesity is defined by 30.0 to 40.0 and extreme obesity is 40.0 and higher.

Here is a way to take measurements for body mass index:

1.    Use weight scale on hard, uncarpeted area. Wear no shoes and as little clothes as possible.
2.    Take a note of the nearest pound in your weight.
3.    In order to figure out the height, come as close to a wall as possible, eyes should face forward and heels be together. Stand straight. The back of the head, shoulders, and buttocks should be touching the wall.
4.    Mark the height at the highest point of the head. Measure it with a tape to the nearest ¼ inch.
5.    Now it is easy to find out the body mass index according to the table here.

It is well-known that muscles weigh more than fat and some skinny-looking person with well-done body structure might have the same or even higher weight than an obese person, so the BMI might appear higher than it should. In this case the person can use waist circumstance, skinfold thickness or several other methods instead.

Waist circumstance is the size of the person’s natural waist: it should be measured right above the navel, for a normal size person it is the narrowest part of the body. The goal should be less than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men if their body mass index is higher or equal to 25 mg/m2.

Skinfold measurements are generally taken at specific sites on the right side of the body. The tester pinches the skin at the side and pulls the fold of skin away from the muscle so only the skin and fat tissue is being held. Special skinfold calipers are then used to measure the skinfold thickness in millimeters.

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Posted on October 1, 2009 
Filed Under Weight Loss, Weight, Tests and Measurements

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