Adele Miner shares the results she received from a body composition analyser and why she believes everybody should do one.
Two months ago, I had no idea that a body composition analyser existed, let alone what it could do.
If, like me, you don’t know what it is, a body composition analyser is a tool that gives you an accurate picture of your overall health and fitness by breaking down your total weight into its specific blocks. These blocks being: fat, muscle, bone and water.
Often, when looking at our bodies, we measure our health in terms of a number we see on a scales or our estimated BMI (Body Mass Index), and while these can be indicators of what’s happening with our health and fitness, it misses so much information that can be vital to our lifestyle choices. Things like your bone mass, visceral fat, muscle quality score or your metabolic age can’t be determined from a standard scales, which is where a body composition analyser comes in to give you a better insight of what’s actually going on inside your body.
You’re likely squirming at the thoughts of having the contents of your body laid out in plain numbers, incase you’re unhappy with the results. I get it, it’s like swerving that yearly dentist appointment for fear of being told you need a filling or three. But, switching up that mindset can be the beginning of positive change, or a sigh of relief if your results show that you’re on the right track.
I had my body composition analysed at Gerka Clinic, using their Tanita Body Composition Analyser. Admitedly, it wasn’t something that was on my radar prior to chatting with the team at the clinic as I underwent a course of their Vanquish ME Body Contouring Treatment – a non invasive body contouring treatment. To get a better picture of my health, they offered me the opportunity to take a look at what’s going on inside my body. Somewhat reluctant at first, I eventually figured, ‘why not’. And I’m so glad I did.
For some quick stats and background on me, I’m 30-years-old, petite, am in pretty good shape and health. I try to eat well (but also enjoy some treats) and move myself as much and often as possible. For those reasons, the likeliness of a positive result was in my favour. The machine itself is completely non-invasive and only involves slipping off your shoes and socks and standing on a machine while it collects data and prints out a receipt containing said information. The wonder of this technology does not evade me, as within seconds of stepping off the machine I’m informed on things like my ideal body weight and visceral fat rating – mind boggling.
To run through my biggest takeaways, the first figure my eyes landed on skimming through my receipt was the number ’15’ beside the word ‘metabolic age’ – yes, that’s correct, at 30-years-old I somehow have the metabolic age of a 15-year-old, and I’m certainly not complaining. I was also delighted to be told that my visceral fat rating came in at 1, which means my body is at a reduced risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. A score of 1–12 is typically considered healthy, while a score of 13 or higher indicates an excessive level that might require attention. This is particularly important as heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in Ireland.
While clearly a lot of my lifestyle habits were paying off – that, combined with hitting the genetics jackpot – it wasn’t all perfect results. My ideal body weight came in as higher than my actual weight, advising that I gain around 6kg, it also indicated that I could turn a little more of the fat on my body into muscle, and in turn gain more weight that way, which can be done through strength training and a protein-focused diet.
This information was vital, as without the machine, I would have had no idea what was happening inside my body. Clinics like Gerka Clinic provide treatments that can target specific areas for fat reduction, to help clients obtain a body composition result they’re looking for. They can also help to advise on lifestyle and diet changes which can set you on the right track to reduce things like your visceral fat and fat mass, to improve your overall health.
Though my results were, for the most part, good, regardless of what was written on the page, I believe that sometimes we need to see hard numbers like those to help inform us better. Knowledge grants us with autonomy, and as we live in an age where data is easier to collect than ever, why shouldn’t those advances be put to good, to help us live longer, healthier and happier lives.
Prices for Body Composition Analysers start at around €40 and are widely available in health and wellness clinics around the country.
