Body Composition: Understanding What’s Behind the Number on the Scales

The human body is made up of a combination of fat and non-fat components such as water, bones, muscles, organs, and tissue. Knowing what these elements are and how they can impact your weight can lead to a greater understanding of your health.

By using a smart scale  like the Medicare Lifesense Body Analysis Scale  paired with the Medicare Lifesense App  you can track your progress, learn your body stats, and perform in your sport or reach any personal fitness goals you may have. Below is a deeper explanation of the d ifferent body composition elements that the scale measures and how you can leverage this knowledge to succeed  in your journey. 

BODY FAT  
Fat in the body is divided into two categories: essential and non-essential fat.  

Essential body fat is vital for a healthy, functioning body, protects vital  organs, helps regulate body temperature, stores vitamins and helps the body sustain itself when food is scarce. 

Non-essential fat is excess storage of fat. A high percentage of excess body fat can be unhealthy as well as having not enough.   

It is difficult to gauge how much body fat we have in our bodies simply by looking at ourselves in the mirror. Therefore, it is important to measure and monitor your body fat percentage. Body fat percentage gives you a better measure of fitness  than weight alone. The composition of your weight loss could mean you are losing muscle rather than fat . You could still have a high percentage of fat even when the scale indicates a “normal”  weight. 
 
BODY WATER 
Body water is the single most important component of body weight. It represents over half of your total weight and almost two thirds of your lean body mass (predominantly muscle). Water performs  several important roles in the body: All the cells in the body, whether in the skin, glands, muscles, brain or anywhere else, can only function properly if they have enough water. Water also plays a vital part in regulating the body’s temperature balance, particularly through perspiration. The combination of your weight and fat measurement could appear to be ‘normal’ but your body hydration level could be insufficient for healthy living.  It is essential to keep hydrated to avoid your body retaining water which leads to bloating. 
 
MUSCLE MASS 
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), lean muscle mass may decrease by nearly 50% between the age s of 20 and 90. If you do nothing with it, you’re losing muscle and increasing fat. It is also important to know your muscle mass percentage  during weight reduction so that is it just fat that is decreasing, not valuable muscle .  Strength and resistance training should help build muscle over time.  

Other benefits of gaining muscle mass include:

• Reversing the decline in strength, bone density and muscle mass with aging  
• Maintenance of flexible joints  
• Weight reduction when combined with a healthy diet. 

 
BONE MASS 
Regular exercise and a balanced diet can help maintain healthy bones. Like muscle, bone is a living tissue that can respond to exercise by becoming stronger. For most people, bone mass peaks in their thirties then they begin to lose bone stre ngth. Regular exercise can help prevent this loss  of bone strength as well as a good diet rich in Calcium and Vitamin D . Foods such as dairy products, green leafy vegetables and fish contribute to healthy bones.  

BMI 
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most widely accepted measurement of weight according to health professionals. The Medicare Lifesense  Body Analysis Scales will calculate your BMI based on your height and weight. It is important to note though that BMI, while used widely by the health care industry, is not fully  indicative of overall health. It does not take muscle mass into account therefore portraying someone as unhealthy simply because they are heavier due to their muscle mass. It also does not take body fat percentage into account either. That’s why the  Medicare Lifesense Body Analysis Scales   measures all possible components of the body to give an encompassing view of your health. 
 
MEDICARE LIFESENSE BODY ANALYSIS SCALES 
When a body is weighed, an overall number is given which represents all these factors combined. Thankfully, we can now understand body weight by analysing each component of the body. When embarking on a healthier lifestyle, people are conditioned to focus on their weight alone which is not indicative of their overall health. Being able to see each element of the body's composition empowers you to achieve your health goals while understanding the changes in your body.  

The Medicare Lifesense Body Analysis Scales  measures all aspects of body composition. It gives you high accuracy weight and body fat measurements as well as your body mass index, body water, muscle  and bone mass. This sleek scale features a tempered glass platform and a slim profile that fits perfectly into any surrounding. The scale automatically recognises up to 8 users so the whole family can  benefit from this highly intelligent scale. It also features an “Athlete Mode” if you exercise intensely on a regular basis.  

You can sync your smartphone or tablet device to the scale quickly and easily as the scale features Bluetooth technology. Get on the scale and a few minutes later you will see your data has been automatically graphed in your  Medicare Lifesense  app.   With the app you can access your data on-the-go and set goals to stay motivated with your lifestyle change.  

A truly smart scale, it uses the latest bioelectrical impedance analysis technology in order to get the most accurate result. It also uses Sense-On Technology to save energy and has an auto-on and auto-off function.  

If you have any queries about the Medicare Lifesense Body Analysis Scale or any of our  Diagnostics range, please  contact us.