Body composition refers to the percentages of fat, bone, muscle, and fluid that make up total body weight. It can vary between individuals with the same height and weight due to factors like heredity, diet, exercise, and occupation. Healthy body fat percentages differ between males and females, and between adults and adolescents due to differences in hormones and development. Body composition can be measured through methods like skinfold measurements, bioelectric impedance, hydrostatic weighing, and BMI, with each method having a margin of error. Maintaining a healthy body composition through diet and exercise can help reduce risks for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues.

2. • DEFINITION: Describes the
percentages of fat, bone, muscle,
and fluid that make up body weight
Factors that affect a person’s body
composition:
• Heredity
• Diet
• Exercise
• Occupation

3. Body Composition
• Two people who
have the same
height and the
same body weight
may look
completely
different from each
other because they
have a different
body composition

4. Healthy Body Fat Percentages
MALE
FEMALE
Adults
13-17 %
20-25%
Adolescents
10-20%
15-25%
• Why are adolescent recommendations
different than those of adults?
Kids grow and develop at different times
• Why are boys and girls recommendations
different?
Boys and girls have different hormones that
effect their body composition and girls have
1/3 less muscle fiber than boys

5. Ways to Measure
• SKINFOLD MEASUREMENTS:
Measures layer of fat under skin
(± 3% error)
• BIOELECTRIC IMPEDANCE:
Estimates amount of fat by the
amount of electrical current
needed to travel through body
(± 3 %)

6. Ways to Measure (cont)
• Hydrostatic Weighing:
Estimates fat by measuring
water displacement (± 1.5%)
• Body Mass Index (BMI):
Describes appropriateness of
height and weight (does not
measure body fat) (± 5-6%)

7. ASSESSMENT OF BODY COMPOSITION
Doctor’s Office
• BMI
Personal Trainer
• Bioelectric Impedance
• Hydrostatic Weighing
• Skinfold measurements

8. Benefits of Improved Body
Composition
• Decrease levels of body fat
that cause obesity
• Decrease risk of coronary
heart disease
• Decrease chances for stroke
• Decrease chances for
diabetes
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower Cholesterol levels