* available only with the Thoracic Volume add-on test.
Body weight is simply your overall weight, as measured by our certified accurate scale during your BOD POD body composition analysis test.
A certain amount of fat is absolutely necessary for good health. Fat plays an important role in protecting internal organs, providing energy, and regulating hormones. The minimal amount of "essential fat" is approximately 3-5% for men, and 12-15% for women. If too much fat accumulates over time, health may be compromised.
BODY FAT RATING |
MEN |
WOMEN |
EXPLANATION |
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| Risky (High Body Fat) |
>30% | >40% | Ask your health care professional about how to safely modify your body composition. |
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| Excess Fat | 21-30% | 31-40% | Indicates an excess accumulation of fat. |
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| Moderately Lean | 13-20% | 23-30% | Fat level is generally acceptable for good health. |
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| Lean | 9-12% | 19-22% | Lower body fat levels than many people. This range is generally excellent for health and longevity. |
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| Ultra Lean | 5-8% | 15-18% | Fat levels often found in elite athletes. |
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| Risky (Low Body Fat) |
<5% | <15% | Ask your health care professional about how to safely modify your body composition. |
Applies to adults ages 18 and older. Based on information from the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, Exercise Physiology (4th edition) by McArdle, Katch, and Katch, and various scientific and epidemiological studies.
Fat Free Mass is every component of your body except fat that makes up your body's weight. It includes muscle, water, bone, and internal organs. Muscle is the "metabolic engine" of the body that burns calories (fat) and plays an important role in maintaining strength and energy.
Total Energy Expenditure, or TEE, is the total amount of energy you use per day (kcal/day).
Your daily Total Energy Expenditure (TEE, kcal/day) consists of three components:
Of these three, RMR is the largest contributing component of TEE at around 60-70%.
Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) (kcal/day) represents the minimum energy your body needs to support its basic physiological functions, including heartbeat, breathing, maintaining body temperature, and all of the numerous biochemical reactions required to keep you alive. In essence, it is the amount of energy the body uses at rest.
Due to the strict protocol and technical difficulties associated with obtaining an accurate measurement of RMR, prediction equations have been developed to estimate RMR based on parameters more easily measured. Research studies indicate that prediction equations which account for both fat and fat-free mass provide the most accurate estimates of RMR. Therefore, the equation of Nelson et al (American Journal of Nutrition 56:848-56, 1992), which includes accurately measured fat and fat-free mass as predictors, provides a reliable and accurate assessment of your RMR. This equation is also useful in tracking RMR changes that occur with a change in either fat or fat-free mass.
Most of us understand that weight management depends upon the energy balance equation: the amount of energy you put into your body (your caloric intake) versus the amount of energy you expend (your TEE). The way to lose body fat is to maintain a negative energy balance. This is accomplished by reducing caloric intake, increasing TEE or, preferably, a combination of both. Your RMR is dependent primarily on the fat-free part of your body, and accounts for the vast majority of your TEE. So to improve your overall fitness, it is critical to know your RMR.
RMR and TEE information should NOT be used for children under 18 years of age, pregnant or lactating women, or individuals in which metabolism may be affected by disease or medication.
Thoracic Lung Volume (TLV) impacts the method the BOD POD uses to measure body composition. Any measurement of gas in the thoracic cavity cannot be included in a measurement of body volume. Doing so will invalidate the results.
The Bod Pod® has established predictive values of thoracic gas volume based on height and age. Because of the simplicity and quickness of using these predictive values, most people prefer to use them. However, when the highest level of accuracy is needed, the BOD POD has the ability to measure thoracic gas volume directly using a direct measurement technique.
