Understand Your Body Composition for Better Health

Understanding body composition is crucial for assessing health and fitness levels. A DEXA scan can reveal not only bone mineral density but also muscle mass, body fat distribution, and emerging technology like predicted VO2 max. Essential fat percentages differ significantly between men and women, with women requiring 10-15% essential fat and having healthy body fat ranges of 18-25%, while men need 3-5% essential fat, with healthy ranges of 10-18%. Recent findings indicate that these healthy norms for body fat may have been expanded.