How to read a body composition (BIA) report

Summary

Body composition machines are now common in obesity and diabetes clinics and in gyms. In this 2026 lecture from AB Plus Hospital, Dr. Om walks through how to read the report these machines produce. He admits he used to see them as a gimmick, but newer studies, including one from India, show that good-quality machines agree reasonably well with DEXA scans.

The machine works by sending a very small electric current through the body. Water-rich tissue such as muscle conducts it differently from fat, and this is used to estimate body fat, muscle and body water. There is no radiation. Cheap bathroom scales that claim to measure body fat are much less reliable.

The parts of the report he explains include:

• Body fat percentage, which in his experience is above the healthy range in most people he tests, even some with a normal BMI.
• Muscle mass in the arms, legs and trunk, which helps track whether weight loss is coming from fat or muscle.
• Visceral fat, the fat inside the abdomen that drives diabetes and heart risk.
• Water balance, where some models can pick up fluid build-up, such as swollen legs, that also affects the other numbers.

The results are estimates and are most useful for following your own changes over time on the same machine. Read more about waist size and health risk and BMI cut-offs for Indians.