Body Composition Analysis

What I meant by body composition here is visceral/abdominal fat, muscle mass, body fat, body water, bone mass. From muscle mass and body fat data, our physique rating can then be obtained. In fact, there is a weighing machine which is able to give all those information. What we need to do is just to key in our age, and height, then step on the machine with our barefoot, after less than a minute, all the numbers will be given. I plan to find out how the formula works and I promise to post them here. Hopefully soon.

Below is the result for physique rating with its explanation that I copied from my health report done at the Health Outreach Clinic Pte Ltd:
Result    Physique Rating
1               Hidden Obese
2                   Obese
3                  Solidly-built
4               Under exercised
5                   Standard
6               Standard Muscular
7                    Thin
8               Thin and Muscular
9                 Very Muscular

It was some times in August last year (2012), when I had my body composition analyzed. My physique rating result was 4 (under exercised). I was extremely disappointed with such result. My fat percentage was 25.4, and muscle mass was 35.2 kg at that time. Abdominal fat rating was 3, which is at the lower side. BMI (Body Mass Index) was at the low side of normal range, therefore, nothing about loosing weight to improve the physique rating. After analyzing further, I concluded that I need to gain more muscle in order to improve the physique rating. I set that as my goal, which should be achieved by next year (August 2013).

Just few weeks back (March 2013), I happened to see a health marketing company which were having a roadshow to promote their nutritional product, and thing that caught my attention was definitely not the product, but they were helping customer to do a free check for body composition. Guess what? My weight is still the same, but I have gained 2.5 kg of muscle mass and loose some fat. The fat percentage is showing at 20.1, with the abdominal fat rate at 2. Physique rating is now at 7 (Thin). I am satisfied with the outcome! I could probably improve a little more to be at 8 (Thin and Muscular), but definitely not at 9.  

Some tips to start a healthy life style:

•  For people with high BMI, daily calories intake should be reduced and working out should be put on your busy schedule. I won't elaborate further about working out for now, because the first move to do is to reduce the total daily calories intake. To be able to do so, knowing calorie content in every single food that is taken everyday is a must. Some food may have label that show such information. This website is a good resource.
• For people with normal BMI, I suggest to have a body composition analyzed to know whether you are healthy or not. Skinny doesn't mean healthy. There could be some unhealthy fat being stored in the body without us knowing. Some people may look skinny from outside, but they could have excess fat in their belly. In USNEWS, it has been reported that people who have excess fat in their belly may have higher risk of dying from heart attack.