Bodyfat Percentages

hCG diets are popular weight-loss programs. When strictly followed, they can provide rapid weight loss. However, some individuals question the body composition actually being lost. While most dieters focus on the number displayed on their bathroom scale, it is impossible to know if lost weight is body fat, water, or muscle.

Tracking Rapid Weight Loss With a Body Composition Scale (Bioimpedance Analyzer)

Concerned that the rapid weight loss experienced on an hCG weight loss program comes from lean body mass (LBM) rather than fat, some individuals have purchased a home-style body composition scale to keep track of their losses. However, a misunderstanding regarding bioimpedance analyzers, visceral fat (fat deposits in the liver, abdomen, and other organs; not structural fat), and what lean body mass actually is, can distort conclusions taken from the data.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis attempts to measure body-fat percentage electronically when a dieter steps onto the scale barefoot. Since the primary conductor in the body is water, the theory is that lean body mass (due to its high water content) conducts electricity better than fat tissue does. A body composition scale causes a light electrical current to pass through the body. By measuring the resistance, the scale attempts to determine the amount of body fat and lean body mass found in that individual.