19
- What is total body water percentage?
(Applicable age 18 - 99)
Total Body Water Percentage is the total amount of fluid in a person’s body expressed as a
percentage of their total weight.
Water plays a vital role in many of the body’s processes and is found in every cell, tissue and organ.
Maintaining a healthy total body water percentage will ensure the body functions efficiently and will
reduce the risk of developing associated health problems.
Your body water levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day and night. Your body tends to be
dehydrated after a longnight and there are differences in fluid distribution between day and night.
Eating large meals, drinking alcohol, menstruation, illness, exercising, and bathing may cause
variations in your hydration levels.
Your body water percentage reading should act as a guide and should not be used to specifically
determine your absolute recommended total body water percentage. It is important to look for long-
term changes in total body water percentage and maintain a consistent, healthy total body water
percentage.
Drinking a large quantity of water in one sitting will not instantly change your water level. In fact,
it will increase your body fat reading due to the additional weight gain. Please monitor all readings
over time to track the relative change.
Every individual varies but as a guide the average total body water percentage ranges for a healthy
adult are:
Female : 45 to 60%
Male : 50 to 65%
Source : Based on Tanita's Internal Research
Note: The total body water percentage will tend to decrease as the percentage of body fat increases. A
person with a high percentage of body fat may fall below the average body water percentage.
As you lose body fat the total body water percentage should gradually move towards the
typical range given above.
- What is visceral fat rating? (Applicable age 18 - 99)
This feature indicates the rating of visceral fat in your body.
Visceral fat is the fat that is in the internal abdominal cavity, surrounding the vital organs in the trunk
(abdominal) area. Research shows that even if your weight and body fat remains constant, as you
get older the distribution of fat changes and is more likely to shift to the trunk area especially post
menopause. Ensuring you, have healthy levels of visceral fat my reduce the risk of certain diseases
such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and the onset of type 2 diabetes.
The Tanita Body Composition Analyzer will provide you with a visceral fat rating from 1 – 59.
Rating from 1 to 12
Indicates you have a healthy level of visceral fat. Continue monitoring your rating to ensure that it
stays within the healthy range.
Rating from 13 – 59
Indicates you have an excess level of visceral fat. Consider making changes in your lifestyle possibly
through diet changes or increasing exercise.
Source: 1) Tanita Institute Contract Study. Algorithm Development for Estimating Visceral Fat Rating.
SB Heymsfield MD. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons 2004.
2) Wang, Z., et al. Japanese-American Differences in Visceral Adiposity and a Simplified
Estimation Method for Visceral Adipose Tissue. North American Association for the Study
of Obesity. Annual Meeting. Abstract 518-P. 2004
Note:
•Even if you have a low body fat rate, you may have a high visceral fat level.
•For medical diagnosis, consult a physician.