Importance of Your Body Fat Percentage
Stepping on the scale or having your body mass index (BMI) measured are common ways to measure your health. These measurements, however, cannot always give a precise reading of your overall health. The measurement of body fat is more accurate than body mass index for assessing health. A person can have a lot of muscle, but be considered “over-weight” by many height/weight charts. The opposite can also be true – a person can have a lot of fat and little muscle and be “over-fat” but not overweight.
Too little body fat is linked to problems with normal, healthy functioning in both men and women. It can also lead to problems with reproduction in women. Too much body fat, especially when located around the abdomen, increases the risk of many diseases, including the following:
Type II diabetes
High blood pressure
Stroke
Heart disease
Certain cancers
For many athletes, performance is improved with optimal body composition. By knowing your body fat percentage, and the range it falls in, you can take measures to improve your health and reduce your risk for various diseases.
What is Body Fat Composition?
Body Fat Composition is the ratio of lean body mass to fat body mass. Maintaining excess body fat long term is a factor in heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone disease and premature aging. If you keep your body fat within a reasonable level, you’ll be healthier.
How Do I Test My Body Fat Composition?
One of the most accurate ways to measure your Body Fat Composition is with the DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry). It measures body fat percentage as well as lean muscle mass. The facts about DEXA:
DEXA uses a whole body scanner and 2 different low dose X-rays to read bone mass and soft tissue mass.
It provides a high degree of precision.
This is considered the gold standard for measuring Body Fat and Bone Density.
It is painless.
Note: Table weight limit of 300 lbs
What Information Will I Receive From the Body Fat Composition Test?
Measures Fat Percentage, Lean Muscle Mass and Bone Mineral Content in each of these body parts: (Left/Right Arm, Left/Right Leg, Left/Right Trunk and Total Body)
Measures Bone Mineral Density for the total body which is broken down into these body parts: (Head, Arms, Legs, Trunk, Ribs, Pelvis, Spine, and Total Body).
What is the Cost?
$75 for the first test, and $50 for each additional test.