Available at RMC Clinics, the InBody 380 body composition analyser provides a more detailed picture of your body composition through a quick, painless assessment, supporting informed lifestyle changes, weight management and personalised nutritional advice.

What is InBody body composition analysis?

A conventional scale only tells you how much you weigh, without showing how much of that weight is muscle, fat or water. Yet two people with the same body weight may have significantly different body compositions, which can be important for their health, physical performance and metabolism.

InBody body composition analysis is an advanced assessment based on bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which estimates the amounts and proportions of different body components by measuring the body’s resistance to an electrical current. The method uses a very weak electrical current that patients generally cannot feel and does not involve radiation exposure.

The InBody 380 device used at RMC Clinics analyses the body in five separate segments: each arm, each leg and the trunk. Its multi-frequency technology provides information about overall body composition, differences between body regions and the body’s fluid balance.

The assessment takes just a few minutes, and the results are available immediately.

What does InBody body composition analysis show?

The assessment analyses several parameters to give you a more comprehensive picture of your body’s current condition.

• Body fat mass and percentage: Shows your estimated body fat mass and its proportion relative to your body weight, providing information that may be important for weight management and lifestyle changes.
• Skeletal muscle mass: Helps assess the amount of muscle in your body and track the effects of exercise, nutrition or lifestyle changes.
• Segmental muscle analysis: Assesses the lean soft tissue mass of the arms, legs and trunk separately, helping identify differences between body regions.
• Body water and fluid distribution: Provides information about total body water and the proportion of extracellular water, changes in which are also important when interpreting the results.
• Visceral fat level: Estimates the amount of fat surrounding the abdominal organs, providing additional information that may help assess risks related to metabolic health.
• Estimated basal metabolic rate: Shows your body’s estimated energy expenditure at rest, which may be useful when developing a personalised nutrition plan.

The device may also display additional indicators, such as body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle index and phase angle. Age, health, physical activity and the conditions under which the assessment is performed should all be considered when interpreting the results.

Who can benefit from InBody body composition analysis?

Body composition analysis can be useful for more than just weight loss. It can help track changes that may not necessarily be visible on the scales.

The assessment may be particularly beneficial:

• During weight loss or weight reduction, to monitor changes in the proportions of fat and muscle mass.
• Before and during lifestyle changes, to establish a baseline and monitor progress.
• For people who exercise regularly, to track changes in muscle mass and differences between body regions.
• As part of a dietetic consultation, to help establish personalised nutritional goals.
• For people at risk of muscle loss, for example in older age, as an additional way to assess muscle status.
• For general health awareness, if you would like to learn more about your body composition.

The assessment cannot diagnose diseases on its own, but it can provide valuable additional information as part of a medical or dietetic assessment.

How is InBody body composition analysis performed?

The assessment is simple, quick and painless, with no blood sampling or other invasive procedures required.

1. Preparation: Before the assessment, you remove your shoes and socks, along with any accessories that could affect measurement accuracy. The healthcare professional will help you prepare if needed.
2. Positioning: You stand barefoot on the device’s foot electrodes and hold the hand electrodes. It is important to maintain the required position throughout the measurement.
3. Body composition analysis: The device measures the body’s electrical resistance at multiple frequencies and uses these measurements to calculate body composition indicators. The measurement takes approximately 30 seconds.
4. Reviewing the results: Once the measurement is complete, a detailed results sheet is generated, showing the key body composition data and their relative proportions.

Discussing your results with a dietitian or another healthcare professional can help you turn the findings into practical steps for everyday life.

How should you prepare for body composition analysis?

Your current hydration status, food intake and physical activity can all affect InBody results. Following a few simple guidelines therefore helps make the results as reliable and comparable as possible.

• If possible, avoid eating a large meal for at least 2–3 hours before the assessment.
• Avoid strenuous exercise and sauna use before the assessment.
• Use the toilet before the measurement and maintain your usual, adequate fluid intake.
• For repeat assessments, aim to have the measurement taken at a similar time of day and under similar conditions.

Important: Bioimpedance analysis may be contraindicated if you have an implanted pacemaker or another electronic medical device. If you are pregnant, have a significant fluid imbalance or have another specific medical condition, prior consultation is required, as the assessment may not always be recommended or the results may be of limited value.

Why is regular body composition analysis useful?

When making lifestyle changes, we often focus on changes in body weight, although weight alone does not always reflect actual progress. For example, body fat may decrease while muscle mass increases, resulting in little change on the scales even though body composition is improving.

InBody analysis allows individual body composition measurements to be compared over time. This can help you track how changes in nutrition, exercise or lifestyle are affecting your body.

The frequency of follow-up assessments depends on your individual goals. In many cases, repeating the assessment every few weeks or monthly allows enough time for meaningful changes to become apparent. Measurements should ideally be taken under the same conditions.

InBody body composition analysis and dietetic consultations

Body composition analysis can be a particularly useful addition to a dietetic consultation. Detailed results can help establish realistic, personalised goals, whether you want to reduce body fat, preserve muscle mass, support sports performance or make sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes.

The dietitian evaluates the results alongside your eating habits, lifestyle, medical history and individual goals. This allows the advice to take account of your body composition and changes in it, as well as your weight. Repeat assessments make it possible to monitor progress and adjust your nutrition plan if necessary.

InBody body composition analysis at RMC Clinics

At RMC Clinics, we use an advanced InBody 380 body composition analyser to help you understand more about your body beyond your weight. This quick, painless assessment provides detailed information about fat and muscle mass, body water and the composition of individual body regions. Whether you are planning lifestyle changes or would like to monitor the progress you have already made, body composition analysis can provide a useful starting point and valuable feedback.