Body Composition

Body Composition
a part of health related physical fitness
it refers to all the tissues that make up your body
your body is made up of 2 types of tissue:
i) lean body tissue (muscle, bone, skin,and body organs)
ii) fat (about half your fat is located deep within your body; the
remaining fat is located between your skin and your muscles)
Body Fat Level/Measurement
refers to the percentage of your body that is fat tissue
a fit person has the right amount of fat tissue (neither too much nor
too little)
overall, it is good if fat accounts for a relatively low percentage of
your total body weight, but you do need essential body fat for
optimal health
The Importance of Fat

Fat is an insulator; it helps your body adapt to heat and cold.

Fat acts as a shock absorber; it can help protect your organs and
bones from injury.
Fat helps your body use vitamins effectively.
Fat is stored energy that is available when your body needs it.
In reasonable amounts, fat helps you look your best, thus increasing
your feelings of well-being.
Not Enough Body Fat?
it is important to have some body fat (essential body fat)
having too little fat can cause abnormal functioning of various organs
problems in females related to their reproductive system
risk losing bone density
risk a serious eating disorder (Anorexia Nervosa, Anorexia Athletica,
Bulimia)

Essential Body Fat You Need This!

Too Much/Excess Body Fat
(You dont need this!)
having too much fat can be unhealthy
higher risk of heart disease - surgery complications
high blood pressure - tire more
easily
diabetes (especially type 2 diabetes)
cancer
other diseases
Factors Influencing Body Fatness
Heredity (Tendency to be lean or muscular or heavy)
Basal Metabolism (amount of calories your body uses to function)
Maturation (female & male hormone levels change as you age)
Body Fat Levels Early in Life (developing extra fat cells at a young
age makes it more difficult to control fat levels later in life)
Diet (amount of energy contained in the food you choose)
Physical Activity (the amount of energy your body burns)
Measuring Body Fat
it is useful to determine how much of ones body weight is fat and
how much is lean tissue.

Laboratory Measures: requiring special equipment and expertise:

Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
Underwater Weighing
Bod Pod
Non-laboratory Measures: (Best for School and Home Use)
Skinfold Measurements
Height-Weight and BMI
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Body Measurements: Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Body Measurements: Waist Girth (Circumference)
BMI (Body Mass Index)
Height and weight are used to calculate a persons body mass index. it
is often used because its easy to measure but it has limitations.
BMI does not give as accurate an assessment of body fatness as
laboratory measures, skinfold analysis or BIA analysis.
BMI charts can provide inaccurate measurements for people who
have a lot of muscle (ie. athletes) because muscle weighs a lot more
than fat. Therefore a muscular person could be high in weight but not
too fat. Similarly, a person who appears normal on the chart could
actually have an unhealthy level of body fat.
BMI Calculator for Adolescents
https://nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/calculator.aspx
BMI for Adolescents
BMI is interpreted differently for children and teens even though it is
calculated as weight height2.

Because there are changes in weight and height with age, as well as their
relation to body fatness, BMI levels among children and teens need to be
expressed relative to other children of the same sex and age.

It is not appropriate to use the BMI categories for adults to interpret the
BMI of children and teens.
Skinfold Measurements
Your body fat level can be determined by measuring skinfold
thickness (the amount of fat under your skin).
Skinfold thickness is measured with a special instrument called a
caliper.
A number of measurements taken at different points of the body are
used to provide an estimate of the total amount of fat in the body.
We used to do this at school, but it can be intrusive and intimidating
for students and teachers! So we now use BIA machines.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Computers and other machines have been developed to test body fat
levels.
They can provide reliable and accurate estimates of body fatness.
Different machines can provide different results, so it is important to
use the same machine and under similar conditions (time of day,
same hydration level, etc.)
Cautions
In both home and professional uses, people need to be adequately
hydrated. This is because this method assumes that the body is within
normal ranges for its water content.
Changes in a person's hydration levels can be due to failure to drink
enough water, hormonal changes, food, caffeine or alcohol
consumption, strenuous exercise, stress or illness, or taking
prescription drugs.
If a person is dehydrated, the amount of fat will likely be
overestimated.
Measuring under consistent conditions (proper hydration and at the
same time of day) gives the best results.
Pros and Cons of BIA
Pros
It's safe.
Some, but not all Bioelectrical Impedance systems, are simple and fast.
It can measure long-term changes in body fat.
The home measurement does not require a technician so repeated measures over
time can be more accurate and thus more comparable to one another.
Home measurement is private.

Cons
It tends to over-predict body fat in lean and athletic people unless the machine is
equipped with an "athlete" mode with appropriate predictive formulas.
It does not take into account the location of body fat.
People with pacemakers are not candidates for this method.
BIA Zones for Adolescent Females

Females between the ages of 13 and 17 should not have a body fat

percentage below 12 percent. For females a percent between 12 and 15 is

low, 16 to 25 is considered a healthy range, 26 to 30 is the overweight range

and a percentage over 30 is classified as obese. Recommendations change

for women between the ages of 18 and 34. For example, women between

ages 18 and 34 should have a percentage of at least 20 percent.

BIA Zones for Adolescent Males

Males between the ages of 13 and 17 should not have a body fat
percentage below five percent. For males a percent between five and 10 is
low, 11 to 25 is considered a healthy range, 26 to 30 percent is the
overweight range and a percentage over 30 is classified as obese.
Recommendations change for males between the ages of 18 and 34. For
example a man between ages 18 and 34 should have a percentage of at
least eight percent.
In Summary:
Video (compliments of You Tube!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61k7MmtoFFc
What Dr. Travis has to say about excess fat
Look at excess fat in the body and how it effects or organs, blood
vessels, and heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymsj3nF2EjM
How Fat Leads to Heart Disease
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ij3k50-C28
heart disease leads to an increased risk of heart attack
heart attacks require emergency measures:
CPR
Use of defibrillator
Extra Resources, Videos, Etc.
You Tube Video to introduce Body Composition (body fat and BMI)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61k7MmtoFFc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGb3u6Bh-oM

Body Composition

5:30, 7:36, 9:46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YytlcPlXOQI