Tanita body composition analysis: more than your weight

The Tanita MC-780MA is a clinical-grade, multi-frequency body composition analyser, and the first test in our Health Autonomy assessment in Chudleigh. You stand on it and hold two handles, and it takes about 30 seconds.

How it differs from bathroom scales

Most home scales give one number for your whole body, usually measured through your feet alone. The Tanita uses eight electrodes and multiple frequencies to measure each arm, each leg and your trunk separately.

What it measures

• Muscle mass in each limb: left versus right arm and leg, plus trunk. This spots imbalances after injury or from favouring one side.
• Fat mass and body fat percentage: overall, and where it sits in your body.
• Visceral fat: the fat stored deep around your organs, the type most linked to health risk.
• Body water: total water, and the balance inside and outside your cells, linked to hydration, inflammation and recovery.
• Phase angle: a marker of how healthy your cells are and the quality of your muscle tissue.
• Bone mass, BMR and metabolic age: estimated bone mineral, the calories you burn at rest, and how your metabolism compares with your age.

Why it matters

Two people can weigh exactly the same and be in very different health. Muscle naturally declines from around the age of 30, a process called sarcopenia, and it protects your metabolism, your joints and your independence later in life. Tracking it limb by limb lets us target the right changes, such as strength training and protein intake.

For athletes, segmental lean mass and phase angle help track how you’re adapting to and recovering from training. Paired with force plate testing, they show whether a weaker side lacks muscle, power or both.

Before your test

• Avoid a large meal or lots of fluid for 2 to 3 hours beforehand.
• It isn’t suitable if you have a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, or are pregnant. Please tell us when you book.

See all six tests