In Detail
Body composition is a more meaningful measure of health than body weight alone. Two people of the same height and weight can have very different ratios of fat to muscle, and those ratios have very different implications for metabolic health, fall risk, fracture risk, and longevity.
Key components include fat mass (with further distinction between visceral fat around organs and subcutaneous fat under the skin), lean mass (primarily muscle), bone density, and total body water. Visceral fat is the most metabolically active and the most strongly linked to cardiometabolic disease.
Tracking body composition over time gives a more honest picture of progress than the scale. Patients on serious resistance training and nutrition programs often see modest changes in scale weight alongside meaningful improvements in body composition.