Why Do We Care About Body Composition? With Bradley Davie
When it comes to managing health, many people focus primarily on the number on the scale or whether their BMI falls within the standard range. They often worry when the scale fluctuates and only take action when their weight starts to climb.
However, health is about much more than just a number. Various factors contribute to overall well-being, and understanding them is key to achieving a truly healthy state. In this episode, I'm joined by Bradley Davie, a health coach with InBody—a company renowned for its body composition measurement products. I've been using InBody technology in my clinic for nearly a decade, and today, Bradley and I will explore how body composition plays a crucial role in health.
How Understanding Body Composition Can Change Your Health Journey
When we talk about 'body composition,' we're basically breaking down what makes up our total body weight. It’s all about understanding the different parts, like lean mass—which includes muscles, bones, organs, and water—and fat mass. Lean mass is everything that isn’t fat, while fat mass is the fat in our body that serves as an energy reserve plus other important functions.
So, why does body composition matter?
Because it gives us a much clearer picture of our health than just focusing on weight alone. Two people might weigh the same, but one could have more muscle and less fat, while the other has more fat and less muscle. This difference can have a big impact on their health. By tracking body composition over time, we can see if we’re gaining muscle, losing fat, or experiencing changes in bone density—stuff that tells us a lot more than just watching the number on the scale.
Understanding body composition helps us see the bigger picture of our health. Weight or BMI by themselves can be misleading because they don’t show the difference between muscle and fat. For example, someone with a lot of muscle might have a higher BMI but still be super healthy. By focusing on body composition, we can get a better sense of our health risks and make smarter choices about exercise and diet.
Why Knowing Your Body Composition Is More Important Than Just Your Weight
As mentioned earlier, knowing more than just your weight can really make a difference. For example, muscle mass is often called the 'fountain of youth.' It’s key for keeping your metabolism healthy and staying strong and mobile as you age. Understanding how much muscle you have can help you figure out if you’re losing muscle or need to build more to stay strong and healthy. This becomes especially important as we get older since maintaining muscle can help prevent falls, improve daily function, and boost your quality of life. If you’re aiming to build more muscle, whether for looks or function, tracking your muscle mass over time can be super helpful.
Body fat percentage is another key part of body composition and gives you a much clearer picture of your health than just looking at weight. Healthy body fat ranges are typically between 10-20% for men and 18-28% for women. Staying within these ranges can help lower the risk of issues like heart disease and diabetes. Body composition analysis also helps you understand different types of fat, like visceral fat—the dangerous kind that surrounds your internal organs. High levels of visceral fat can be bad news because it can mess with organ function and raise your risk for various metabolic problems.
Body composition measurements can get even more detailed, showing things like how your lean mass is distributed in each arm, leg, and your trunk. It can also give you insight into water retention, which is useful for monitoring things like swelling or tracking recovery from injuries. Whether you're recovering from an injury, trying to build muscle, or looking to reduce fat, understanding your body composition lets you track these changes more effectively. This kind of detailed info can help guide your health and fitness journey, way beyond what a simple scale can tell you.
My personal experience with InBody
Let me share a bit of my own story about how I discovered InBody and why I’ve come to really like it as a tool. I first came across the InBody machine during my residency when I started getting involved in obesity medicine. I used the machine in an obesity clinic rotation, and at first, I just thought it was cool technology. I had never really thought about my body fat percentage before or what to do with that information. It was interesting, but I didn’t see its value right away.
Around the same time, I started doing CrossFit, and I noticed my weight was going up. I knew I was getting healthier, stronger, and fitter, but as a woman, it was still a little weird to see the scale go up. It was the first time I had experienced that, and it was hard not to focus on the number that I had always thought was my “healthy” weight. Then I had another opportunity to use the InBody scan, and this time, the results were eye-opening. Even though I had gained about eight pounds, the scan showed I had actually gained ten pounds of muscle and lost two pounds of fat. I was blown away. Suddenly, the weight gain didn’t bother me because I could see it was mostly muscle. I found those details really powerful and reassuring.
That experience taught me that the number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. For example, you could weigh 150 pounds your entire life, but that number could mean very different things depending on your muscle mass, fat, water weight, and overall health. A regular scale just couldn’t give me this insight. This realization was even more important when I thought about my patients and how I could help them understand their own bodies better. That’s when I really became interested in using InBody technology as a tool to guide people in managing their weight and health more effectively.
InBody vs. Home Scales: What Makes InBody the Better Choice
When patients ask me how InBody compares to their home scales, I often hear, “How is this different from the scale I got at Target?” Let me explain why InBody stands out.
InBody offers precision that most home scales can’t match. Unlike store-bought scales, InBody uses advanced technology, delivering highly accurate results similar to medical-grade devices like DEXA scans, with accuracy rates of 98 to 99 percent. This is possible because InBody uses multiple frequencies to measure various aspects of your body composition.
InBody analyzers use bioelectrical impedance, where safe electrical currents pass through your body, measuring minerals and electrolytes inside and outside your cells. This provides a complete picture of your body’s composition.
One key difference is InBody’s use of eight electrodes—two per limb—to gather specific readings for each body part. This eliminates the need to guess based on age or activity level, which many other devices require. With InBody, you get raw data without guesswork, offering a more accurate view of your health.
I’ve relied on our InBody machine for over ten years, and it’s incredibly reliable. Other machines often deliver inconsistent results, but I trust InBody for the precise data I need for both myself and my patients.
Using InBody: A Simple Guide
If you're new to InBody, it’s easy to use. Remove your shoes, empty your pockets, and wear lightweight clothing. For consistency, wear the same type of clothing each time you test.
Step onto the scale and grab the handlebars. The test takes between 15 seconds to a minute and a half. You’ll receive your results on a printed sheet or through a web platform or app. Your data syncs across devices, whether you’re testing at home, in a clinic, or at the gym.
I’ve been using the home version, and it’s a fantastic tool for tracking progress. Unlike typical home scales, InBody uses handles to gather more data points for a fuller picture of your body composition.
While methods like skinfold calipers or hydrostatic weighing have their place, they come with limitations. DEXA scans are accurate but expensive and less accessible. In contrast, InBody allows for frequent, affordable testing, which is great for tracking changes in fluid balance or muscle gain. For example, I helped a patient on GLP-1 medication who was experiencing fatigue by analyzing her fluid levels and adjusting her treatment accordingly.
InBody is ideal for those seeking precise insights into body composition. Whether you're tracking exercise progress or monitoring the effects of travel, InBody provides clear, actionable data.
Want to try the home composition scale Dr. Francavilla uses? Use her link to get 15% off InBody’s home scale: 15% off InBody Dial H30!
Bradley Davie’s podcast: Beyond the Scale
Our guest today hosts his own podcast, Beyond The Scale. He created this show to focus on how to use InBody data to make meaningful changes for those who use it. He shared that he uses the acronym E M A C K to explain this concept.
E for Efficiency: How can you easily integrate this data into your life? Where will you keep it, and how will you use it?
M for Motivation: How can this data motivate you? What’s valuable to you, and how can it help you stay on track?
A for Accountability: How does the device help keep you accountable and show you your progress?
C for Commitment: Will this data help you stick to your goals?
K for Knowledge: What can you learn from this data to improve your body composition over time?
According to Bradley, "Beyond the Scale" also caters to healthcare providers who use InBody. It’s not just about body composition analyzers; they also offer tools like blood pressure monitors, height stadiometers, and grip strength dynamometers. All these tools sync together to give people a comprehensive view of their health.
He is particularly interested in the grip strength dynamometer. Which is a great way to gauge muscle quality and balance between hands. If people are looking to improve grip strength, simple exercises like weight training, walking with weights, or hanging from a bar can help.
The focus is shifting from just muscle quantity to muscle quality. For example, with newer medications like GLPs that might cause muscle loss, we use InBody to monitor lean mass and ensure it's not dropping too much. But it’s not just about having muscle; it’s about how functional it is. Can a person lift things comfortably? Can a person push themselves off the floor?
In healthcare, the conversation is moving towards not just measuring muscle mass but also its functionality. This is becoming more important as we recognize that muscle health affects everything from body fat to nutrient metabolism. It’s exciting to see this shift and to see muscle’s role being acknowledged more and more.
If you’re curious about using InBody data for health improvements or want to learn about the latest in body composition tools, check out Bradley’s podcast. He shares great tips on combining health metrics for a complete view of well-being and improving muscle quality and function. Check it out now!
Want the complete scoop on body composition and how InBody technology can make a difference? Catch the full episode with Bradley Davie for all the details. Click here to listen and get the inside info!
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