Body Composition Metrics: Key Definitions and Health Risk Indicators

Body Fat Percentage

Body fat percentage is defined as the percentage of total body weight that is composed of fat tissue. This distinguishes it from related terms:

• Lean mass refers to the portion of body weight composed of muscle, bone, water, and organs.
• Body fat percentage is not simply the amount of fat in pounds or kilograms, but rather fat expressed as a proportion of total weight.

Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds the internal organs. Unlike subcutaneous fat (which sits beneath the skin), visceral fat is metabolically active and is strongly associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other serious conditions. Styku's software identifies and reports visceral fat as a key health metric.

Waist Circumference Thresholds

Waist circumference is one of the most clinically validated indicators of obesity-related disease risk. The established thresholds are:

• Men: waist circumference greater than 40 inches indicates increased risk
• Women: waist circumference greater than 35 inches indicates increased risk

Exceeding these thresholds is associated with a heightened likelihood of developing various preventable diseases.

Health Risk Indicators: A Combined Picture

The following metrics are all recognized indicators of health risks from obesity-related diseases:

• Waist Circumference
• Waist-to-Hip Ratio
• Body Fat Percentage

Practitioners should use all three in combination when educating clients about their health status and motivating behavior change.

Interpreting Relative Risk

When communicating risk to clients, it is important to translate relative risk figures into plain language. For example, a client with a 1.7x risk of Cardiovascular Disease has a 70% increased risk compared to baseline. Framing risk this way makes the data more actionable and meaningful during client consultations.

Applies to: All Styku configurations