Tanita Body Composition Analysis In Southend

December 1, 2015 by The Body Matters

Our nutritional therapist, Melanie Ryan, now offers body composition analysis at The Body Matters on every third Tuesday of every month, using a TANITA Body Composition Analyser.

For your initial measurement, please book one of three 20-minute slots between 6 and 7 pm. Apart from the actual body composition analysis you will get a mini-session with Melanie to discuss your action plan and to ask any nutrition related questions you might have. For follow-ups (5 minutes), no appointment will be necessary. Just walk in between 5 and 6 pm.

Cost: £20 for the initial appointment, just £5 for follow-ups.

TANITA Body Composition Analysis can be incorporated into any of Melanie’s nutritional therapy or Diet MOT sessions at no extra cost, but please mention when booking that you would like this done during the session.

What does “body composition” mean?

The body is composed of three major elements: water, lean body mass (ie; muscle, organs, bones) and body fat (or adipose tissue). The proportion of lean body mass and fat matter more than total weight, because muscle is heaver than fat. So, an athletic person may weigh the same as a sedentary person, but the two can have a dramatically different body composition. Lean body mass provides functional (or useful) weight. While body fat has important physiological functions – it plays a major role in female hormone balance, for example -, it is mainly associated with disadvantages, among others pressure on the skeleton, and contribution (particularly of visceral fat) to heart disease.

How can body composition be measured?

There are different methods of measuring body composition, none of which is 100% accurate. The degree of inaccuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis, the methoed TANITA Body Composition Analyser uses, is approx. 3-4%, but it is more accessible and cheaper to use than the more accurate methods (degree of inaccuracy <2%), which are only available in hospitals and/or research facilities. Apart from fat, lean body mass and water percentage, the TANITA also measures visceral fat, indicates your basal metabolic rate and metabolic age.

What should my fat percentage be?

Age and gender play a role in calculating your ideal body fat percentage, but so does the type of sports you follow. In terms of performance, the ideal percentage for men lies between 6 and 15%, for women between 12 and 18%. Middle- and long-distance male runners and male bodybuilders have the lowest body fat levels (6% or less), whereas cyclists, gymnasts, sprinters, triathletes and basketball players average between 6 and 15%. The healthy recommended bottom limits are 6% for men and 12% for women, but these are the absolute minimum and actual healthy body fat percentages may be much higher. Women, in particular, need their body fat to contribute to their overall oestrogen levels, and low body fat can result in amenorrhoea, osteopenia and osteoporosis.

What does “metabolic rate” mean?

The metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the rate at which the body burns calories to just breathe and maintain basic bodily functions, ie; it denotes the minimum amount of calories the body needs. Having a higher basal metabolism will increase the number of calories used and help to decrease the amount of body fat. A low basal metabolic rate will make it harder to lose body fat and overall weight.

How can I increase my metabolic rate?

Exercise: During the hour or two after vigorous exercise, your body will continue to burn calories faster than normal, because it will be replenishing fuel stores and repair tissue. This post-exercise increase in the metabolic rate is called “after-burn”.

The other way in which exercise influences the metabolic rate – and that’s in the long term – is by building muscle: adding 1 kg (2 lbs) of muscle burns an extra 65 kcal/day, which over the time of a month can mean the loss of 250 g (1/2 lbs) of fat at rest. You will most likely burn more calories building the muscle, but the 65 kcal/day is just what is burned at rest – without you doing anything further, just because the muscle is there.

To find out more about TANITA Body Composition Analysis in Southend or to book an appointment please call The Body Matters on 01702 714968.