The Importance Of A Body Composition Monitor
Maintaining a fit and healthy body is more than just about weight. Here are the benefits for tracking your total body composition with an Omron Body Composition Monitor.
Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage refers to the amount of body fat mass in regards to the total body weight
expressed as a percentage
Visceral Fat Level
Visceral fat = fat surrounding internal organs
Too much visceral fat is thought to be closely linked to increased levels
of fat in the bloodstream, which can lead to common diseases such as
hyperlipidemia and diabetes, which impairs the ability of insulin to transfer
energy from the bloodstream and using it in cells. In order to prevent or
improve conditions of common diseases, it is important to try and reduce
visceral fat levels to an acceptable level. People with high visceral fat
levels tend to have large stomachs. However, this is not always the case
and high visceral fat levels can lead to metabolic obesity. Metabolic
obesity (visceral obesity with normal weight) represents fat levels that are
higher than average, even if a person’s weight is at or below the standard
for their height.
Skeletal Muscle Percentage
Muscle is divided into two types, muscle in internal organs, such as the heart, and skeletal muscle
attached to bones that is used to move the body. Skeletal muscle can be increased through exercise
and other activity. Increasing the ratio of skeletal muscle means that body can burn energy more
easily, which means that it is less likely to turn to fat, and makes it easier to lead an energetic lifestyle
Regardless of your activity level, a minimum level of caloric intake is required to sustain the body’s
everyday functions. Known as the resting metabolism, this indicates how many calories you need to
ingest in order to provide enough energy for your body to function.
Body age is calculated by weight, body fat percentage and skeletal muscle percentage to produce a guide to determine if your body age is above or below your actual calendar age. If above your calendar age, changes can be made to your body composition, fitness level and diet.
Still an important standard of fitness, especially in combination of other fitness indicators.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI uses the following simple formula to indicate the ratio between weight and height of a person.
BMI = weight (lb) / height (inches) / height (inches) × 703
Bioelectrical Impedance (BI) Method
Muscles, blood vessels and bones are body tissues with a high water content that conducts electricity
easily. Body fat is tissue that has little electric conductivity. The BCM-500 sends an extremely weak
electrical current of 50 kHz and less than 500 µA through your body to determine the amount of fat
tissue. This weak electrical current is not felt while operating the BCM-500.
In order for the scale to determine your body composition, it uses the electrical impedance, along with
your height, weight, age and gender information to generate results based on OMRON’s data of body