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What is Body Composition? | Balancing Medications and Meals | Eating Well Without a Kitchen
What is Body Composition?
Body composition refers to your body make up: muscle, fat, water, and bone. Finding out what percentage of your body is made up of muscle, fat, and water can help you make healthy changes. For example, you may need to get more exercise, improve your diet, or make choices about medicines.
There are some easy ways to measure body fat and muscle mass. You can get these tests at your medical center/clinic, gym, or by seeing a dietitian.
Things to remember:
- Get advice about how to eat better and how to keep or reach a weight that feels right for you.
- Ask your doctor or case manager where to find a dietitian.
- Some common tests for body composition include bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skin-fold calipers. Be sure to check your body composition every 3 to 6 months for changes.
Project Open Hand offers free nutrition information, education and referral to all its clients.
