STEPS TOWARD
A HEALTHIER LIFE
Understanding Your Body Composition Analysis
Body Composition and Health Risk
This analysis includes a number of measurements
giving you an in-depth look at your body composition. You and
your health professional will use this analysis to assess your
current health, risk for serious preventable disease, and to develop
a fitness and nutrition program that, over time, will reduce risk.
Why Check Body Composition?
Professionals use body composition analysis
to measure increased risk for serious diseases including hypertension,
type II diabetes dyslipidemia, prostate cancer, stroke, breast
cancer, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea and
respiratory problems.
Athletes use body composition analysis
to fine tune their performance.
You can use these measurements to track
progress toward achieving your fitness goals.
Weight Alone Can Be Deceiving
Proper fitness goals can best be achieved
with increased physical activity and sensible diet over an extended
period of time. Weight loss without appropriate exercise can actually
increase the percent of body fat, as indicated by body composition
assessment, and your risk for disease.
Percent Body Fat (Fat %)
Body fat is vital to daily body functions. It cushions
the joints and protects the organs, helps regulates body temperature,
stores vitamins and helps the body sustain itself when food is
scarce. However, serious health risks have been associated with
both too much and too little body fat.
Fat Free Mass (FFM) and Fat Mass (FAT
MASS)
Fat Free Mass is your weight excluding all
body fat. It includes the weight of bone, muscle tissue and water.
Fat Mass includes all body fat. Female bodies require a higher
percentage of body fat to be healthy.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI, a weight and height ratio, is often used to diagnose
obesity by approximating body fat level. The index helps determine
your risk of developing one or more of 34 specific diseases linked
to obesity. The National Institutes of Health and the World Health
Organization have determined that a healthy BMI is between 18.6
and 24.9. BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 indicates an individual is
over- weight and a BMI greater than 30.0 indicates obesity. BMI
is not a reliable tool for everyone, for example competitive athletes,
body builders, elderly, women who are pregnant or breast feeding,
some inactive adults, children and chronically ill patients. Over
time Body Composition Analysis can provide additional information
about actual changes in body fat and improved health.
Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR)
BMR measures the energy used by the body to maintain
normal body functions when the body is at rest. Normal daily activities
and exercise increase your metabolism (calorie use). If the amount
of calories you eat in a day exceeds the amount of calories you
use, your body weight will increase. BMR is used by professionals
to develop diet and exercise programs to help you achieve target
fitness levels.
Total Body Water (TBW )
Total body water reflects the amount of water in your
body. Care must be taken to avoid becoming dehydrated during exercise
and diet. Healthy hydration for men ranges from 60% to 70% and
for females 50% to 60% of body weight.
Estimate your hydration level using this
equation:
TBW______/WEIGHT______x 100 = ESTIMATED HYDRATION LEVEL %
Note: Individuals who are severely dehydrated may receive
an inaccurate measurement.
Target BF %
Indicates your target percent body fat and
an estimate of the fat you will need to lose or gain to achieve
the target body fat percentage. This measurement is an estimate
only, you should consult your physician to set an appropriate
target and before beginning any weight management program. Desired
range indicates the healthy ranges for your age and gender.
Impedance, Body Type & Gender
Impedance reflects the strength and speed
of a mild electrical signal sent through the body. Different types
of tissues (i.e. muscle and fat) conduct the signal differently.
The impedance value is interpreted differently depending on an
individual's gender and body type.
SMALL STEPS (Using Your Body Composition Analysis)
SET GOALS
Every individual has different health needs and food
preferences, so work with your health care professional to set
your goals for a healthy diet and exercise program to reach or
maintain your target weight and body fat. Be realistic as you
move forward, take small steps to change over time what you eat
and the level of activity you do.
Diet Steps To Get You Started
Now that we've checked out your composition,
let's rate what you're taking in against the U.S. Department of
Health Service Food Guide Pyramid goals. Record the number of
servings you had from each food group yesterday. Remember, some
foods may need to be recorded as a combination of food groups.
About a month after you start to make changes,
compare how your choices stack up. You may be surprised at how
a few small steps can make your diet more healthy and interesting
at the same time!
| Group |
Goals |
Yesterday |
1 Month |
Bread, Rice, Cereal
& Pasta Group
(1 Serving= 1 slice of bread; 1/2 cup cooked cereal; pasta
or rice; 1 oz. ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 muffin or bagel.) |
6-11 servings |
|
|
Vegetable Group
(1 serving = 1 cup raw leafy veg.; 1/2 cup other veg.; 6oz.
veg. juice.) |
3-5 servings |
|
|
Fruit Group
(1 serving = 1 medium fresh fruit; 1/2 cup cut or canned fruit;
6oz. juice.) |
2-4 servings |
|
|
Meat, Poultry, Fish,
Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts Group
(1 serving = 2-3 oz. cooked, trimmed, boneless lean red meat,
skinless poultry or fish; 1/2 cup cooked dried beans*, 1 egg*,
2 Tbs. peanut butter*, *Equal 1/3 servings ea.) |
2-3 servings |
|
|
Milk, Yogurt, &
Cheese Group
(1 serving = 1 cup milk or yogurt; 1-1/2oz. natural cheese;
2oz. processed cheese) |
2-3 servings |
|
|
Fats, Oils & Sweets
Group
(1 serving = 1 tsp. butter, margarine, sugar or jelly; 1 Tbs.
mayonnaise or salad dressing; 2 Tbs. sour cream; 12 fl.oz.
soft drink or fruit punch.) |
use sparingly |
|
|
Exercise Steps to Get You Started
Physical activity is an important tool!
As a matter of fact, if you diet and don't exercise, you may lose
more muscle than fat and end up with a higher percent of body
fat and a higher risk for disease than when you started! But don't
give up! A few extra steps can make a big difference when you
exercise! A moderate amount of activity can make a big difference
and doesn't have to take a lot of time. For example, the following
activities can burn 150 calories in a day or about 1,000 calories
a week.
Gardening for 30-45 minutes.
Raking leaves for 30 minutes.
Shoveling snow for 15 minutes.
Stair walking for 15 minutes.
Jumping rope for 15 minutes.
Bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes.
Running 1.5 miles in 15 minutes.
Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes.
Swimming laps for 20 minutes.
Pushing a stroller 1.5 miles in 30 minutes.
Work with you doctor to set up an appropriate
exercise program to meet you health goals, and remember, SMALL
STEPS FIRST!
Measuring Steps
Body fat changes slowly over time. By checking
you body composition about once a month, you can measure the effectiveness
of the steps you've taken to achieve your target body composition.
Work with your health or fitness professional to interpret your
results and adjust, as necessary, your diet and exercise routines.
Take the first steps toward a healthier life!
Target Body Fat%_____ Short Term Goal_____Recommended
Calorie Intake_____
Remember the steps toward a healthier
life by understanding your body composition analysis:
Body composition and health risk
Why we check our body composition
Why weight alone can be a health risk
Understanding Percent of Body Fat (FAT%)
What Fat Free Mass (FFM) and Fat Mass (MASS) are
How we use Body Mass Index (BMI)
Using Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The importance of Total Body Water (TBW)
Your own personal Target BF% (Body Fat)
Impendance, and variances for different Body Types and Genders
Small Steps, Small Steps, Small Steps!!!
Using your Body Composition Analyzer
Getting started with personal diet steps
Setting realistic goals
Exercising steps to get you started
Measuring your steps
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