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Everyone needs a certain amount of body fat to be healthy, but sometimes we have a little too much. Do you know how much body fat you have? Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can tell you.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a measurement that determines the amount of fat versus lean muscle mass in your body. Using a small electrical signal, BIA measures the body’s resistance to the signal as it travels through the water that is found in the muscle and fat in your body. BIA is safe and it does not hurt. In fact, the signal used in body fat monitors can not be felt at all either by an adult or child.
Body Fat Percentage
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the amount of essential body fat required by women is 10-12%, compared with 2-4% for men. Body fat is necessary in reproduction, which is why women carry 3-6 times as much essential fat as men. In fact, women who have too little body fat and may actually stop menstruating.
ACE recommends that female athletes maintain 14-20% body fat and male athletes carry 6-13% fat. For non-athletes who are fit, the desirable range is higher: 21-24% for women and 14-17% for men. Body fat percentages between 25 and 31 (for women) and 18 and 25 (for men) are considered acceptable but are found in overweight individuals. People with higher amounts of body fat are considered obese.
An individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful number that usually correlates well with the amount of body fat. However, it yields misleading information for people who are more muscular than average (e.g., bodybuilders). BMI calculations also depend on factors like gender, age, ethnicity and bone structure.
What else does BIA measure?
Phase Angle is a measurement of your body’s overall health. It is based on total body resistance and reactance and is independent of height, weight and body fat. If a phase angle is low, it consistent with either cell death or a breakdown of the cell membrane. Alternately, a high phase angle is consistent large quantities of intact cell membranes and body cell mass. As expected, the phase angle is increased with an increase in bloody mass, even though obesity itself is not associated with good health.
Phase Angle is a predictor of outcome and indicates the course of disease or increases as the result of optimal health based on good nutrition and consistent exercise. Usually, a phase angle of six or greater is desired for men and five or greater is desired for women.
As we get older our phase angle will decrease and will be approximately four or less when we die. Fit adolescents may have a phase angle greater than 10. This effect is a result of cellular integrity due to age.
Low phase angles are consistent with:
- Malnutrition
- Infection (HIV/AIDS, bacteremia)
- Chronic disease (cirrhosis, renal disease, pulmonary tuberculosis)
- Cancer (most types)
- Abusive life style
- Chronic Alcoholism
- Old Age (80 – 100 years)
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