New Technology at CNC: How Much Should You Weigh? Let’s use Fall to get our Body Fat Percentage to goal!

Posted: Oct 15 in Health And Wellness, Medical Weight Loss News, Weight Management Strategies by Dr. Lazarus

Act Now to Save $5!
Every day I discuss the same question: “How much should I weigh?” Individuals have many different goals for different reasons: getting back to the pre-having kids weight, getting back to the highschool graduation weight, getting back to the weight before the medical treatment (or injury, etc…) Some want to get to a certain BMI.

Unfortunately, goal-setting in this fashion is arbitrary, and does not always yield the best (or healthiest) goals. That’s why we like to make recommendations based on an individual’s body fat percentage. If we can measure the lean body weight, add in enough fat percentage for health and a realistic level of fitness, then we can set a realistic (and healthy) goal.

From a medical perspective, it is clear that the first pounds lost provide the largest health benefit – in fact, only a 10% weight loss will dramatically reduce risk. Nonetheless, most individuals that I work with desire far more weight loss than this. Many pick great goals, but sometimes a little help is needed to figure out what we should be endeavoring to accomplish.

For the past 40 years at CNC we’ve relied on Caliper measurements to estimate body fat percentage. However, calipers are rather tricky, and there is a lot of variability depending on which individual does the measurement. Further, we’ve often questioned the accuracy of some measurements, particularly in somebody who has lost a lot of weight.

After much research, CNC is proud to offer a brand new Body Fat Scale that is far more accurate than caliper measurements. This is a medical-grade device that has been standardized against underwater weighing, the so-called “gold standard.” And with the scale, you don’t have to get wet!

Utilizing modulating frequencies of electrical current through all 4 extremities, the scale is able to accurately gauge body fat in less than a minute, and has a reported accuracy within 2% of an underwater weighing. Importantly, the scale manufacturer also reports that the measurement’s repeatability is 99.4% (so there shouldn’t be a big change whether it is done in the morning or afternoon, for example).

We have found the scale invaluable in helping us figure out not only the best weight goals for our patients, but also to help structure the nutritional program to get the right amount of protein for an individual’s lean body weight. The initial report is a beautiful 5 page printout explaining what was done (subsequent reports are just 1 page, and look identical to page 5 of the initial report – this is where all the important numbers are listed).

Feel free to stop by the office any time you’d like and try it out. An appointment is not necessary. You do not need to be an active patient here to have this test (you are also welcome to recommend it for your friends and family – they are welcome to use the coupon below too!) We are offering the new test for only $15.

-Ethan Lazarus, M.D.

*Note: Please do NOT use the scale if: you have a pacemaker, you are pregnant, you are less than 10 years old, or you weigh more than 700 pounds