Body Composition Analysis

A Body Composition Analysis is an essential measure of fitness for both athletes and the general public. Unlike body weight, body composition provides information about the amount of fat and muscle tissue on your body.

At the IMC Center for Nutrition & Weight Management, we use state-of-the-art technology, a Hologic's Body Composition Analysis, to interpret your body weight in terms of body fat and lean body mass. Hologic's Body Composition Analysis is considered one of the gold standard methods of measuring body composition. It uses dual-beam X-ray technology to provide a picture of your body tissues. Software converts the data obtained during the X-ray into detailed information about the amount of fat, bone, and other lean tissues (muscles, organs, and skin) that compose your body.

Your Body Composition will be analyzed through a whole body scan. Analysis of fat mass, lean mass, and percent fat mass can be reported for the entire body and head and for specific segments of the anatomy such as the arms, abdomen, pelvis, and legs. Fat Mass refers to the amount of a person's body weight composed of adipose (fat) tissue. It includes the fat deposited under the skin (subcutaneous) and the fat deposited within the chest and abdomen (truncal). Lean Mass refers to the amount of a person's body weight composed of fat-free tissues. It is comprised of the weight of muscle, bone, water, internal organs and connective tissue. Percent Fat Mass refers to the percent of a person's body weight composed of fat. For men, this number should be less than 20% and for women, less than 30%.

As you pursue a health and fitness program, knowing the composition of your body will prove to be one of the most important concepts of your wellness program!