Insights into Long-Term Results: The Benefits of Regular BIA Measurements
Guest writer: Rob van Berkel, Research dietitian and writer on nutrition and health
Insights into Long-Term Results: The Benefits of Regular BIA Measurements
A scale makes it easy to determine a client’s body weight. However, this provides limited information. BIA measurements (depending on the model) can also provide data on body fat percentage, visceral fat mass, muscle mass, body water, and phase angle. By monitoring this information regularly, it becomes possible to work more purposefully toward an individual’s health and fitness goals.
Weight Alone Says Very Little
Using a simple scale, only body weight can be measured. From this, the Body Mass Index (BMI) can easily be calculated. BMI is the most commonly used measure to express obesity (Heymsfield et al., 2025).
BMI is calculated by dividing body weight by height squared. A BMI of 18.5–25.0 kg/m² is considered normal. A BMI between 25.0 and 30.0 kg/m² indicates overweight, and values above this indicate obesity.
A limitation of BMI is that it provides no information about the amount of muscle mass or fat mass, nor about fat distribution, even though these factors are directly related to health risks (Sweatt et al., 2024).
For example, a client with a height of 1.70 m, a weight of 90 kg, and a body fat percentage of 10% has the same BMI as a client of the same height and weight but with a body fat percentage of 30%. The difference, however, amounts to 18 kg of body fat.
Furthermore, fat location matters. Fat stored around the hips and thighs is relatively harmless, whereas abdominal (visceral) fat is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (Shen et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2025). BMI provides no information about this, particularly at the individual level.
BIA measurements provide a much more detailed insight into a client’s body composition, including:
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body fat percentage
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visceral fat mass
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muscle mass
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intra- and extracellular body water
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phase angle
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resting metabolic rate
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bone mass
This allows a better assessment of health risks. When measurements are performed regularly, potential risks can be identified at an early stage (Ceniccola et al., 2019).
Working More Goal-Oriented
Regular use of BIA measurements allows for a more targeted approach to achieving a client’s goals. You not only know the starting weight and its progression but also how body composition and, potentially, muscle quality change over time.
When a client is overweight and wants to lose weight, the goal is typically to lose (visceral) fat mass rather than muscle mass. If the client adjusts their diet and performs resistance training, body weight and BMI may remain unchanged. This can be discouraging.
However, BIA measurements may reveal that visceral fat mass has decreased and muscle mass has increased—exactly the desired outcome. Clients who engage in strength training and increase their food intake can also determine whether this leads to gains in muscle mass or fat mass, allowing timely adjustments to their strategy.
Regular BIA measurements therefore make it possible to tailor nutrition and training to the client’s goals and to make corrections when necessary.
Promotes Awareness and Engagement
Various strategies exist to achieve goals such as weight loss, muscle gain, or improved sports performance. But which strategy works best for an individual client?
By performing regular BIA measurements, it becomes clear which dietary adjustments and training programs are effective and which are not or require modification. This increases the client’s awareness of their behavior and fosters greater involvement.
Stimulates Motivation
Motivation plays an important role in achieving and maintaining health goals. Regular BIA measurements can serve as a motivating factor.
Observing changes in body composition beyond body weight—such as a decrease in body fat percentage or an increase in muscle mass—demonstrates that efforts are producing the desired results. This confirmation can be highly motivating.
Points of Attention for BIA Measurements
The accuracy of a BIA measurement and what can be measured depend on the type of device and the measurement procedure. The following points are important. Ensure that the client:
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is fasted (has not eaten or drunk for 2–4 hours);
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has not consumed caffeine or alcohol within 24 hours prior to the measurement;
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has an empty bladder (within 30 minutes before measurement);
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has not exercised immediately beforehand (at least 12 hours of rest);
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has not showered or bathed just before the measurement;
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has not applied creams or lotions to hands or feet;
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is measured at the same time of day each time;
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has an adequate hydration status.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to work toward a specific body composition, such as health, sports performance, or aesthetic goals. Body weight and BMI provide little to no insight into this, which may result in goals not being fully achieved. Regular BIA measurements, on the other hand, do provide this insight.
References
Ceniccola GD, Castro MG, Piovacari SMF, et al. Current technologies in body composition assessment: advantages and disadvantages. Nutrition. 2019;62:25-31.
Heymsfield SB, Sorkin JD, Thomas DM, et al. Weight/height2: Mathematical overview of the world's most widely used adiposity index. Obes Rev. 2025;26(1):e13842.
Shen F, Guo C, Zhang D, Liu Y, Zhang P. Visceral adiposity index as a predictor of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2024;34(4):811-822.
Sweatt K, Garvey WT, Martins C. Strengths and Limitations of BMI in the Diagnosis of Obesity: What is the Path Forward?. Curr Obes Rep. 2024;13(3):584-595.
Wang R, Liu J, Fang G, Shi J, Zhang C, Huang Y, Association between visceral adiposity index and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 104216July 02, 2025.
