What does Body Composition Mean

Body composition is a technical term used to describe various components that make up the body weight. Two people of same height and same body weight appear completely different from each other due to different body composition. So, what is body composition? Body composition is defined as the ratio of lean body mass to body fat mass. Lean body mass includes structural and functional elements in cells, body water, bones, muscles, liver, heart, kidneys, etc. Body fat is of two types such as essential fat and storage fat. Essential fat is required for normal physiological functioning. Storage fat constitutes the fat reserves of the body. Body composition is expressed as percent of body fat mass and percent of lean body mass.

Human body composition can be measured in different ways. One of the most common methods is to use a set of measurement calipers to determine the thickness of subcutaneous fat in multiple places on the body. It includes the abdominal area, buttocks, thighs, arms and subscapular region. With these measurements, total body fat is estimated with a margin of error of about 4% points. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is another method to measure body composition. This method uses the resistance of electrical flow through the body in order to estimate body fat. Some other methods for estimating human body composition are hydrostatic weighing, Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) and Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) are also used to determine body composition.

Normal body composition recommended for a healthy adult male is between 13 and 17 percent and between 20 and 25 percent for a healthy adult female. Body Mass Index (BMI) is another method to measure one’s fitness level. Both body composition and BMI factors are helpful for healthy weight loss, leading to healthy living.