Many people get hung up on their weight to determine how healthy they are.  Weight by itself is actually a very poor indicator of overall health.  The same could be said for Body Mass Index (BMI).  BMI is a calculation based on height and weight.  If your BMI ratio is over 25 then you’re considered overweight, if you’re over 30 you're obese and if you are over 40 then you are considered morbidly obese.  The problem with your scale and a BMI calculation is they don't tell us anything about your body composition.  A 6 foot, 200 lbs. professional football player that is muscular is much different than a 6 foot, 200 lbs. male who is sedentary and has little muscle mass.  Therefore, looking at the ratio of body fat to lean body mass is a much more accurate way to assess body composition. Top Wichita chiropractor Nathan Hands provides more information here.

A great way to measure body composition is to use bioimpedance analysis (BIA).   This is a very quick and accurate way to measure your body composition.  In our office, we use a BIA machine called an InBody (www.inbodyusa.com).  The InBody scan tells us 3 important things about your health in addition to your height and BMI.

1. Lean Body Mass - How much lean mass or muscle you have on your body is one of the best biomarkers for aging.  As you age, you lose lean mass.  The more lean mass you can keep as you age, the more functional you will be as you get older.  Once you aren't physically able to do simple movements like a squat, then someone is either moving in with you or you’re moving out.
2. % Body Fat - The higher your percentage of body fat, the higher risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Higher body fat percentage also means higher levels of visceral fat.  This is the fat around your organs that can eventually suffocate organs like your heart and liver.  The worst place to carry body fat is around your mid-section.  This type of fat is very pro-inflammatory.  Inflammation in the body can lead to many chronic diseases and cause you to feel more pain.
3. Basal Metabolic Rate - BMR is how many calories you will burn at rest.  Muscle burns 7x more calories at rest than fat.  This is why it is important to add some type of strength or resistance training to your workout routine in Wichita.  Many people will go on a diet and they will lose weight but many times that weight will come right back. One reason for this is they never changed their metabolism by adding muscle.

Make sure you know what your numbers are for lean body mass, body fat mass and BMR.  These numbers are going to be a much better predictor of your health versus weight or BMI.  If you don't know these numbers than call us at Optimal Wellness at 316-425-1911 to find out how you can schedule your InBody scan.