WHAT IS BODY COMPOSITION?

Not All Weight Is Created Equal!

Our bodies can be divided into two main components - fat and lean mass. Fat is classified as two types. The first, "essential fat", is necessary for normal body function. The second type is "storage fat", which is the extra fuel we store under the skin and around various organs. Lean mass primarily consists of muscle, the major "metabolic" engine of the body. The more muscle in your body, the more calories you will burn (even when resting).

Although people commonly make reference to being "overweight", having excess body weight and excess body fat are two completely different things. While it's true that a pound of fat and a pound of muscle each weigh a pound, that's were the similarity ends. As explained by Daniel Kosich, PhD, "Fat and muscle differ in an important way - muscle is much denser than fat. Think of it this way: Muscle is like a brick. Fat, on the other hand, is like cotton balls. It takes far more cotton balls than brick to make a pound. So a pound of fat takes up more space on your body than a pound of muscle." With this in mind, it's important to note that a person beginning an exercise and nutrition program will in many cases gain weight, because they are losing body fat and gaining muscle mass. Therefore, muscular individuals can have a high body weight without actually having excess body fat.

Additional pages:
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is It Measured?
What Does It Mean?
What Is Body Composition?
Why is Body Composition Important?