Body Composition Assessment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is body composition assessment?
Body composition assessment is a measurement that shows what your body weight is made of. A standard scale gives one number; a body composition assessment breaks that number into fat, muscle and water, and adds an estimate of the energy, in calories, that your body uses each day.
Most body composition analysers work by passing a very small electrical signal through the body while you stand on metal footplates and hold hand grips. Fat, muscle and water carry the signal differently, and the analyser combines that difference with your height, age and sex to estimate each part.
A detail many people find surprising: two people of the same height and weight can have very different results. One may carry more muscle, the other more fat, and each needs a different eating plan. At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, body composition assessment is carried out by the dietitian in the Nutrition and Dietetics service, so the person who reads the numbers is the person who builds your plan from them.
Who needs it
Body composition assessment helps anyone starting a structured nutrition plan, and it is especially useful for:
- People working on their weight through the weight management service, where it shows whether the weight lost comes from fat or from muscle
- Adults with type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, high cholesterol or fatty liver, where fat carried around the middle matters for health
- People preparing for weight-loss surgery or recovering from it, where protecting muscle is a priority
- Older adults and people recovering from a long illness, where the aim is to keep or rebuild muscle
- Active people and athletes who want to plan protein and energy around training
- Anyone whose weight stays the same while their clothes fit differently, a sign that the balance of fat and muscle may be shifting
The results also give a starting point for an obesity and metabolic assessment and for general nutritional counselling.
What happens
The measurement itself is short. You remove your shoes, socks and any metal items such as a watch or belt, and your height is recorded. You then stand barefoot on the footplates and hold the hand grips with your arms slightly away from your sides. The analyser takes its reading while you stand still, and you feel nothing during it.
The printout usually covers four areas:
| Measure | What it tells the dietitian |
|---|---|
| Weight | Your total body weight on the day |
| Muscle percentage | How much of your weight is muscle, which supports strength, balance and blood sugar control |
| Fat percentage | How much of your weight is fat; many analysers also estimate fat stored around the organs |
| Daily calorie requirement | An estimate of the energy your body uses at rest, which the dietitian then adjusts for your activity and work |
The dietitian sits with you and explains each figure in plain terms. The daily calorie estimate becomes the basis of your eating plan, set to match your goal, whether that is gradual fat loss, building muscle, or regaining strength after illness. Your results are saved so the next reading can be compared directly with this one.
Preparing for it
Body water shifts through the day, and the reading follows those shifts. Consistent preparation gives results you can compare fairly from one visit to the next:
- Come at a similar time of day for each assessment, ideally in the morning
- Keep the few hours before the measurement free of a large meal
- Skip hard exercise, a sauna or a long spell outdoors in the Sharjah heat earlier that day
- Drink your usual amount the day before, since both dehydration and heavy drinking of fluids alter the reading
- Empty your bladder just before the measurement
- Wear light clothing and leave jewellery at home
Tell the team when you book if you have a pacemaker, an implanted defibrillator or any other implanted electronic device, if you are pregnant, or if you have metal implants such as a joint replacement. The dietitian then chooses the right approach for you. During Ramadan, book each measurement at the same point in the fasting day, or plan it for after Eid, because fasting changes body water.
Afterwards
You can return to your normal day straight away. The dietitian gives you a written plan built on your results, covering portion sizes, protein at each meal, and activity that suits your work, whether you sit at a desk, drive for a living or do physical work.
Repeat assessments take place at follow-up visits, spaced so that a real change has time to appear. Single readings move with food, fluid and heat, so the trend across several visits is the part that guides your plan. The muscle figure is especially useful here, because it shows the effect of protein and strength exercise that a standard scale hides.
Contact the hospital on 06 599 7777 if you have questions about your results, and see a doctor promptly if you are losing weight without trying, which needs its own medical investigation.
Cost and insurance
Body composition assessment is usually part of a dietetic consultation. Some UAE insurance plans cover dietetic care when it is linked to a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or preparation for weight-loss surgery, while weight management alone is often excluded. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover before your visit on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of body composition assessment?
Body composition assessment is painless and safe for most people, because the electrical signal used is very small and cannot be felt. It is usually avoided or adapted for people with a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator and during pregnancy, so tell the team about these beforehand. The main limitation is accuracy, since the figures are estimates that shift with hydration, meals and exercise.
How accurate is body composition assessment?
Body composition assessment gives reliable estimates for tracking change in the same person over time, but it is less precise than specialised hospital scans for measuring fat and muscle exactly. Readings taken under the same conditions each visit give the most useful comparison, which is why the preparation advice matters.
Is body composition assessment the same as BMI?
Body composition assessment and BMI are different measures. BMI uses only height and weight, so it cannot tell muscle from fat, and a muscular person can have a high BMI with little body fat. Body composition assessment estimates the fat and muscle directly.
Can body composition assessment diagnose a medical condition?
Body composition assessment does not diagnose disease. It measures the makeup of your body to guide a nutrition plan. Conditions such as diabetes, thyroid problems or fatty liver are diagnosed with blood tests, scans and a doctor's examination.
Why do my results change from one day to the next?
Body composition results change day to day mainly because body water changes with meals, drinks, exercise, heat and, for women, the menstrual cycle. These shifts can move the fat and muscle figures without any real change in tissue, so the dietitian looks at the trend over several visits.
How often should I repeat body composition assessment?
Body composition assessment is usually repeated at follow-up visits with the dietitian, often every few weeks to months depending on your plan. Measuring more often than that mostly shows normal water shifts rather than true change.
Can I have body composition assessment if I have a metal implant?
Many people with metal implants such as joint replacements can still have body composition assessment, although the implant may affect the reading on that side of the body. Tell the dietitian about any implant or implanted electronic device before the measurement so the right approach is chosen.
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