Body Comp-SRPMIC

What are you made of?

Body composition assessment can help you to determine how much of your body weight is made up of body fat, muscle mass, and bone.

The health risk of obesity is much better related to the amount of body fat one carries rather than the person’s body weight or body mass index. Also, body fat around organs and deep in the trunk of the body (called Visceral Body Fat or VAT) poses a much greater health risk that fat deposited on the extremities such as your hips, thighs and arms.

New! WellPath participants may have their body composition measured by two methods:

Skinfold measurement made by a WellPath Coach can help estimate your percent body fat. Then the portion of your body weight comprised of fat, and lean body mass (muscle, bone and organs) may be made along with an estimate of weight loss required to reach a body fat percentage may be made. Serial measurements may help you to determine if changes in body weight are due to changes in fat &/or muscle mass.

Skinfold measurements made by an experienced tester using an age- and gender-matched equation can be fairly accurate and provide meaningful information to accompany body weight and body mass index in evaluating the quality of a weight loss/gain. Skinfolds can not help you determine the amount of VAT a person possesses.

DEXA Scan is the “gold standard” measurement of body composition and the best opportunity to accurately estimate the amount of body weight that is comprised of muscle, lean body mass and bone. DEXA scans can be useful in determining changes in body composition made during a weight loss or gain. DEXA scans can also estimate the amount of body fat that is VAT and more closely linked to increased risk for illness. DEXA scans are now covered under the SRP-MIC health plan as a preventive service for appropriate individuals. A WellPath Coach or physician can help you to determine if you are eligible to use your prevention benefits for a DEXA scan. Download the handout below for more information.