Start Your Weight Loss Journey Right With a Body Composition Analysis

While a person's body mass index (BMI) can be a good measure of their body fat content, a comprehensive body composition analysis is a better indicator of a person's total body health. The information derived from a body composition analysis can help health professionals devise successful weight loss plans for their patients.

At PharmXHealthOne, with locations in Wellington, Boynton Beach, and Port Saint Lucie, Florida, our team uses advanced tools as part of our medically supervised weight loss programs. In this blog, we explain what a body composition analysis is and how it can help you lose weight and get healthy.

What is body composition?

Body composition is the breakdown of your body's core components, which are protein, fat, water, and minerals. It can provide a more accurate depiction of your weight and body health than your BMI can.

Our providers at PharmXHealthOne use the Seca® Body Mass Analyzer. With the information it provides, we can get a crucial snapshot of your body health, which can help us create an effective weight loss plan.

What are the benefits of a body composition analysis?

Here are some of the benefits of starting your weight loss journey with a body composition analysis.

Drop fat, gain lean muscle

A snapshot of your body composition can help your provider develop the most effective program to reach your weight loss and wellness goals. The insights gained from your body composition analysis can be used to help you break through a weight loss plateau, so you can lose stubborn fat and build healthy, lean muscle.

Knowing your body composition can help you lose the right amount of fat and improve your health and well-being. Having more lean mass and less body fat will not only reduce your risk for developing various chronic diseases, but it will also help you maintain a healthy body weight. That's because lean muscle is more biologically active than fat. It requires more energy to maintain, and thus it burns more calories than fat.

Get insight on health risks

A body composition analysis can provide insight into more than your ratio of fat to lean muscle. It can also give insight into your risks for developing chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Body composition is closely linked to certain health risks.

Lower levels of lean mass, for example, can increase your risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease. Even slender individuals can be at risk for developing certain health conditions if they have unfavorably low lean mass. Understanding the core makeup of your body can help us create a fitness and nutritional regimen to improve your overall health and reduce your risk for developing chronic diseases.

Get insight on bone health

In addition to an insight into your risk for developing chronic diseases, a body composition analysis can identify your risk for developing weak bones. Osteoporosis and osteopenia are characterized by low or suboptimal bone mineral density, which can put you at risk for suffering fractures. While a body composition analysis doesn't directly diagnose osteoporosis, lower body density can alert us to the potential for weak bones.

Track visceral fat

The Seca Body Mass Analyzer does more than measure your body fat and muscle mass. It also enables us to track other valuable health indicators, such as visceral fat.

Body fat has important physiological functions, but balance is key. Subcutaneous fat is stored just under the skin where it provides insulation, protects your muscles and bones, and serves as a form of stored energy.

Visceral fat, on the other hand, is stored in the abdominal cavity and wraps around your organs. Too much of any fat is harmful to your health. However, too much visceral fat is especially dangerous. It's strongly associated with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and stroke.

By tracking your visceral fat, our team can create a uniquely tailored weight loss plan to reduce your health risks and improve your overall health and well-being.

Obtain innovative whole-health measurements

With the Seca Body Mass Analyzer, we can directly measure your health at a cellular level, too. Phase angle values provide an innovative look into how your body responds to health changes. Your phase angle fluctuates with your health status, going up when you're healthy and down when your health declines.

Specifically, phase angle measurements give insight into your cell quality and the distribution of water within and outside cellular membranes. Phase angle measurements provide a clue into your vitality and longevity on the deepest physiological level. By tracking your phase angle values, we can get a precise picture of your overall health. Higher phase angle values reflect better cellular function and better overall cell health.

Great health starts with a body composition analysis

The Seca Body Mass Analyzer goes beyond measuring body fat and muscle mass to give you the most complete measurement of your overall health. Whether you're struggling to lose weight and keep it off, or you desire to improve your health and fitness, getting a body composition analysis is the best place to start.

To learn more about how a body composition analysis can get you on the path to long-term weight loss and improved health, book an appointment online or over the phone with PharmXhealthOne today.