Bioimpedance scanning aka body composition scanning is a great way to track your progress when losing weight. It is more accurate than body mass index (BMI). When it comes to health, fat tissue surrounding our organs is the most dangerous as this effects multiple things including blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin resistance, etc. One problem I consistently see in patients is when they track their weight every day they get concerned over fluctuations. One day they may be up two pounds and the next day they may be down two pounds. It is not fat tissue when it’s that big of a change. It would take over 5500 calories in one day to gain 1 pound of fat or to lose 1 pound of fat. Usually these fluctuations are from water weight. When we take in a lot of salt, this causes us to retain water. The opposite is true. When we have a lot of urination, we lose a lot of weight. Body composition scanning can give you a better indication of your actual fat mass tissue and help you stick to your goal. One of the problems is that there is no way to tell which scanner is best….. until now. In the study I have posted below they compared multiple different bioimpedance scanners and ranked them based on their accuracy. When choosing a bioimpedance or body composition scanner use this as a tool to know what may work best for you. It really can be a great help in your weight loss journey.

Seth Jarrell, MD