Body Composition: A better measure of Longevity than BMI
- Jennie Cox
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Recently some of our Chiropractors attended a fascinating morning of talks by Gastroenterologists, Physiologists and Dieticians at LycaHealth in Orpington (associated with KIMS Hospital in Maidstone, Kent).
Discussions were had about the rising epidemic of Fatty Liver Disease (now called Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) & visceral fat, & what we can do both proactively & reactively to tackle this issue within the population.
Body fat is not always visible & this is why issues like this can go unnoticed.
So, let's explore Body Composition, Visceral Fat & Muscle Mass & what we should be aiming for...
What is our Body Mass made up of?
Our bodies are made up of:
Fat mass: Essential Fat/ Stored Fat/ Visceral Fat
Lean mass: Muscle / Organs/ Bone/ Water
Subcutaneous fat is the fat under the skin e.g. thighs, hips, arms, lower belly. It can be aesthetically frustrating but is relatively less harmful.
Visceral fat sits around organs. It is metabolically active and associated with:
Insulin resistance & Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Fatty liver disease
Higher mortality risk
Visceral fat appears to matter enough that two people with identical BMI can have dramatically different health risks!
Lean Mass- A focus on building Muscle:
Higher muscle mass, on the other hand, is associated with:
Better insulin sensitivity
Better physical function
Lower frailty risk
Better survival in older age
Current aging researchers increasingly emphasize preserving muscle as one of the most important goals across the lifespan.
Body Fat % Ranges for Health and Longevity
Men
Approximate body-fat ranges:
Category | Body Fat % |
Essential | 2–5% |
Athletic | 6–13% |
Fit | 14–17% |
Healthy | 10–20% |
Elevated risk | 25%+ |
Women
Category | Body Fat % |
Essential | 10–13% |
Athletic | 14–20% |
Fit | 21–24% |
Healthy | 20–30% |
Elevated risk | 35%+ |
A healthy % of visceral fat of total body fat is around 10%.
The Metric of better use than BMI... Waist to Height Ratio
Rather than BMI, we can use measures such as Waist-to-height ratio to take into account the likelihood of excess visceral fat. This is calculated by:
Waist circumference ÷ height (cm)
Target: Under 0.5
E.g. 180 cm tall → waist under 90 cm, 170 cm tall → waist under 85 cm
Growing evidence suggests waist-based measures often outperform BMI for predicting disease risk. This may be the more useful body-composition metric available to ordinary people.
Neck circumference, hip to waist ratios, Bioelectrical Impedance machines & DXA scans can also be utilised to help work out Body Composition.
What Happens As We Age?
Starting around age 30:
Muscle declines
Strength declines
Power declines
This process accelerates after 60.
Researchers increasingly view age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) as one of the biggest drivers of:
Falls
Frailty
Disability
Loss of independence
Maintaining muscle is becoming a central theme of healthy-aging science!
What The Evidence Says To Do
If your goal is the best body composition for health:
1. Resistance train
This is probably the highest-return intervention.
Aim:
2–5 sessions per week
Progressive overload
Focus on major movement patterns
If you only do one thing, do this.
2. Maintain high protein intake
For most active adults this is roughly:
1.2–2.2 g protein/kg/day
Higher intakes become increasingly valuable during:
Aging
Weight loss
Muscle gain phases
Protein plus resistance training is the most reliable way to preserve or gain lean mass.
3. Keep aerobic fitness high
Aerobic training:
Improves insulin sensitivity
Improves cardiovascular health
Helps reduce visceral fat
Many studies suggest that exercise reduces visceral fat even when scale weight changes are modest.
4. Sleep More Seriously
Poor sleep consistently predicts:
More visceral fat
Worse body composition
Reduced muscle retention
Increased hunger
Sleep is often the most underrated body-composition variable.
5. Improve Diet Quality
Recent evidence suggests diet quality itself influences visceral-fat reduction beyond calorie counting alone. Patterns emphasizing:
Vegetables
Fruit
Whole grains
Legumes
Lean protein
Minimally processed foods
are consistently associated with better body composition outcomes.
For more support with Body Composition to improve longevity, learn about our team of Nutritional Therapists, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Pilates & Yoga Instructors, Personal Trainers and more at our Maidstone Clinics...
Have a read of our other Blogs on Weight Loss Support, GLP-1 Medications, Bone Health & more...
By Jennie Cox & James Burgess (Chiropractors)
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