Body Composition: BMI, Metabolic Rate & Fat Metabolism

Body composition analysis relies on BMI calculation, understanding BMR/RMR standards, and identifying the biochemistry behind fat metabolism and lipolysis.

Pregnant woman

How Diet Affects Progesterone During Pregnancy

Progesterone helps form and thicken the endometrial lining in the uterus of pregnant women. Without progesterone, a fertilized egg will not attach to the uterine wall and placenta will not support an embryo. Women who experience multiple miscarriages may have low levels of progesterone.

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close up of doctor and woman meeting at hospital

What to Do If Your BMI Is 18.5?

When it comes to the relationship between weight and health, there's no one-size-fits-all ideal you can call on to make sure you're on the right track. If your BMI is 18.5, you're on the low end of what's considered healthy, but you may or may not be at a healthy weight. If you're naturally very slim, a BMI of 18.

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Woman putting her wrist on the other hand

How To Measure Wrist Size for Body Frame Measurement

You may want to look like the supermodel on the cover of your favorite fashion magazine, but you might not be built quite the same way. Measuring your wrist to determine your body frame size can help you develop ideal expectations of a healthy weight specific for your height and build.

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People in gym

The Definition of Lean Body Mass

Carrying too much body fat increases your risk of disease, particularly heart disease and type-2 diabetes. Body fat scales, caliper tests and medical scans tell you the percentage of fat you have on your body.

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Athletic man working his chest

What Should a Man's Body Fat Percentage Be?

Your body fat percentage indicates how much of your body weight is fat. Body fat percentage helps you determine your overall fitness level, regardless of your size or body type. For men, the ideal percentage of body fat depends on their activity level and age.

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Frau mit Maßband und Apfel

Does the Air Climber Work for Losing Body Fat?

The Air Climber is a piece of home exercise equipment designed to burn body fat and increase lean muscle mass. The construction of the Air Climber simulates stepping in place and comes with a body cord for simultaneous upper body training.

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Metabolic syndrome

Obesity in America Compared to Europe

Americans are not the only ones seeing their weight creep up on the scale -- obesity rates continue to rise across Europe as well. Europeans are now second only to Americans in the number of people who are overweight or obese.

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Man doing push-ups

Mesomorph Diet & Exercise

The mesomorph body type is characterized by a naturally athletic physique with well-developed muscles. If you have this body type, you likely are able to put on muscle easily when you lift weights and find it fairly easy to gain and lose body weight.

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Walking away

A Beginner's Walking Program for Obese People

Obese persons may benefit by starting a simple walking program to shed pounds and increase overall fitness. A walking routine burns calories and increases stamina, energy level and bone strength. Regular walking can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer or diabetes, according to the American Council on Exercise.

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Woman on scale unhappy with her weight

Is 30 Percent Body Fat Bad?

Body fat measurements give you a better understanding of the health of your body compared to the scale. Instead of only knowing your gross weight -- which includes bones, fluid, organs and connective tissue -- your body composition measurement tells you how much of that weight is made up of fat.

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Body fat loss monitor

How Does a Handheld BMI Machine Work?

If you're concerned about your body fat levels, you have a few options that could help you figure out where on the scale from "healthy" to "obese" you are. Body mass index, or BMI, gives you a very rough estimate of whether you're at a healthy weight or not.

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Standing on scale

What Does Fast Metabolism Mean?

Metabolism refers to the collective chemical processes that convert food into energy. Similar to gas for your car, food is your body's fuel. If you have a fast metabolism, your body lacks fuel efficiency.

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Woman with tape measure around waist

Healthy Waist Sizes for Women

A slim and trim waist is more than just an attractive physical characteristic in a woman. It is a very important indicator of her current health and future chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and weight-related cancers.

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Healthcare worker measuring girl's height

Height & Weight Charts for Kids

You might assume that your child’s heaviest friend isn’t as healthy as his average-sized friend, or that his tiny friend isn’t getting quite enough to eat, but size isn’t always an indicator of health, according to the website, KidsHealth.

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Measuring tape on weight scale.

How to Calculate Ideal Body Weight Percent

The body mass index is used to gain an idea of the amount of body fat that you have based on your height and weight. It’s used to screen for weight categories that can lead to health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered the healthy range.

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Woman & man working out on crosscycle at gym

How to Maximize Fat Burning Rate

Losing weight is about shedding fat, not muscle. To maximize fat burning, you'll want to strategically combine diet and exercise. You need to reduce calorie intake enough, but not too much, and do two kinds of workouts -- high-intensity interval training and strength training.

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How to Increase Your Natural Melatonin Production

The pineal gland, deep in the brain, is responsible for the production of melatonin, and adequate levels of melatonin are necessary for restful sleep. The body produces between 5 and 25 mcg of melatonin each night, according to the book "Melatonin."

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The Body Fat Percentage of a 45-Year-Old

Body composition is the makeup of fat and fat-free mass in the body. Fat-free mass is anything that is not fat and can include water, bone, muscle, and skin. Fat mass is solely fat, found on the body and throughout the organs.

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How Does Thyroxine Increase the Metabolic Rate?

Thyroxine is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland and what controls the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). A person's basal metabolic rate refers to the minimum number of calories he needs to survive in the absence of any activity.

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