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Assessment of body composition change in a community-based weight management program
L A Powell1, D C Nieman, C Melby
1Department of Health and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608, USA.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition
|April 11, 2001
Summary
Leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a valid tool for tracking body composition changes in overweight women undergoing weight management. This method accurately reflects changes in fat-free mass over 32 weeks, similar to traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Human Physiology
- Nutritional Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Assessing body composition changes is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of weight management programs.
- Traditional methods like underwater weighing and skinfolds have limitations in accessibility and ease of use.
- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) offers a potentially simpler alternative for body composition assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the leg-to-leg bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) system for assessing body composition changes.
- To evaluate BIA's effectiveness over a 32-week period in overweight and obese women in a community weight management program.
Main Methods:
- A 32-week community-based weight management program involving energy restriction and exercise.
- Participants (n=124, overweight/obese premenopausal women) had body composition measured at baseline, 12, and 32 weeks.
- Leg-to-leg BIA was compared against underwater weighing and skinfold measurements.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in detecting changes in fat-free mass (FFM) at 12 and 32 weeks between leg-to-leg BIA, underwater weighing, and skinfolds.
- Average FFM decrease at 32 weeks was comparable across all methods: 1.0 kg (BIA), 1.7 kg (underwater weighing), and 1.4 kg (skinfolds).
Conclusions:
- The leg-to-leg BIA system is a valid and reliable tool for monitoring body composition changes in overweight premenopausal women.
- BIA provides an accessible and effective method for assessing changes in fat-free mass within community-based weight loss programs.
