Body Composition
METABOLIC HEALTH!
In this article, we aim to educate people on the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight—it’s not just about aesthetics! Maintaining a healthy body composition is crucial to overall health and decreases the chances of developing any of Canada’s top killers: cancer , heart disease and stroke. Continue reading and you will learn about the term body composition, the dangers and prevalence of metabolic syndrome and how we will help you achieve metabolic health.
BODY COMPOSITION &
METABOLIC SYNDROME
Body Composition is a term used to describe your body’s percentage of fat, muscle, water and bone. It is a key component to an individual’s health and physical profile.
When an individual has too much fat—especially in the abdominal cavity—they’re at a higher risk for developing conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. This is where Metabolic syndrome and your body composition link. The term ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ is used to describe this cluster of abnormalities:
Abdominal obesity—high waist circumference
Elevated triglycerides—high levels of fat circulating in the blood
Low high-density lipoprotein— low levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol
Elevated fasting blood glucose— high levels of sugar in the blood in a fasted state
Hypertension—high blood pressure
This combination of metabolic abnormalities is a recipe for heart disease, cancer and stroke. Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadian adults had Metabolic Syndrome in 2019?! That’s 20% of the adult population!
DOES KNOWING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION MATTER?
HOW TO GET
The Body Composition You Want
A comprehensive body composition analysis will give you objective information about your body.
For example, stepping on a regular scale at home will tell you how much you weigh, but isn't able to differentiate how much weight is being contributed from bone vs muscle vs fat. Ultimately, one’s composition is what dictates a person’s figure—not weight!
Even though many people know this, still far too many people are fixated on their weight. This is where many people fail. They have an image of what they want their bodies to look like, but aren’t sure how to train and eat accordingly. For those individuals who are looking to “lose weight” we suggest to have a body composition assessment done before embarking on a weight loss journey.
Here’s why:
Track unnoticeable progress: Often times people are building muscle and losing fat but are so fixated on the scale that they don’t notice their bodies are in fact changing! Isolating your fat mass and seeing it drop will help you stay motivated in times where you see no progress in the mirror or on the scale.
Allows for realistic goal setting: This system allows you to set a realistic goal for your body type. Not every woman can weigh 120lbs and still be healthy!
Wake-up call: Some people are so used to being in the physical state they're in that they don’t realize the amount of fat they have surrounding their organs is putting them in a high risk category for heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. Obesity is marked as 25%+ for men and 32%+ for women.