Wellness is a general term meaning a healthy balance between the mind, body and spirit, that results in an overall feeling of well-being. Wellness also describes the constant, conscious pursuit of living life to its fullest potential.
The goal of a Wellness Health Screen is to identify risk factors for chronic diseases, such as, obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes which can adversely affect your Wellbeing. It’s important to identify health risks that might affect you in the future, so that you can do something about it right now. This gives you time to explore not only your health but also your lifestyle.
Each Wellness Health Screen is tailored to meet your specific needs. Results and personal health concerns, advice and recommendations are then discussed to give you peace of mind and to better understanding of your health status.
Early disease detection through regular Wellness Health Screening is the key to a healthier fitter live and Well Being!
Body Composition
Body composition is a term used to describe the different body compartment (especially lean mass and fat mass) that make up a person’s body weight. It is important when studying obesity to be able to measure body composition. Overall body fat is an important indicator of weight-related disease such as diabetes and the location of this tissue is equally, if not more, significant.
There are two categories of body fat. Essential fat is the critical form necessary for proper body functioning. You need this fat for a healthy nervous system, brain, heart, lungs liver and other important organs. Generally men need at least 3-5% of total weight to consist of fat while women need around 12%. Non-essential fat or storage fat is found in fat cells (adipose tissue) and is often located just below the skin and around major organs. It helps cushion the body and keeps it warm. Your lifestyle can have a great impact on controlling the risk of excessive non-essential fat. To understand whether your exercise and / or nutrition program is working properly, you need to know your body composition.
Body Fat Percentage
Ideal body weight is determined by the ratio between your fat weight and lean body weight. An ideal ratio between the two is identified as in the range of 10-19 percent for males and 18-26 percent for females, depending on age. Fat weight can be reduced by increasing lean body weight through resistive (weight training) exercise or decreasing dietary intake, especially fat and sugar consumption.
Body Mass Index
Your BMI is based on the theory that a person’s body weight should be proportional to their height it is based on an estimate of body composition using a simple calculation: dividing your body weight (in Kilograms) by your height (in meters squared). The BMI will be inaccurate for very fit or athletic individuals since they often have a large amount of lean body mass (muscle weighs more than fat) and will be incorrectly categorized as over-weight.
Waist Circumference and Waist/ Hip Ratio
How and where you store your body fat does make a difference in your health. Excess fat in the abdomen – apple shape- puts you at a higher risk for disease. Excess abdominal fat is known to increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is referred to a pre-diabetes condition that is determined when a combination of slightly elevated blood glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure and abdominal obesity are present. The American Heart Association now classifies obesity as a major risk factor for heart disease. Excess fat around the abdomen is a stronger cardio-metabolic risk factor than overall obesity. An increased risk for disease is seen in men with a waist circumference greater than 102 cm (40 inches) and women with a waist circumference greater than 89 cm (35 in). A waist to hip ratio above 0.80 for women and 0.95 for men puts you at greater risk for health problems.