Body composition · North London
What's your real BMI?
A BMI calculator gives you one number from your height and weight. It can't tell muscle from fat, doesn't measure hydration, and routinely mislabels athletes as "overweight" and thin people as "healthy". At Balance Body Hub we run a dedicated BMI test alongside an InBody full-body composition scan — so you finally see what your body is actually made of.
Myth-busting
Why BMI alone doesn't tell the truth.
BMI can't tell muscle from fat
A lean, muscular body and a soft, under-conditioned one can weigh the same. BMI reads them identically.
It ignores water and hydration
Chronic dehydration, water retention and inflammation shift your composition long before your weight moves.
It doesn't measure visceral fat
The dangerous fat that wraps organs is invisible to BMI — you can be 'normal weight' and metabolically at risk.
It flattens age, sex and frame
One formula for every body means BMI misclassifies athletes, older adults and post-partum women constantly.
Better together
BMI test plus InBody scan.
Two tests, one appointment. BMI gives you the widely used clinical baseline. The InBody scan uses multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance to break your body down into muscle, fat and water — segment by segment.
BMI test
The height-to-weight ratio your GP uses — useful as a reference point, tracked over time.
Skeletal muscle mass
Total and per-limb muscle. Spot imbalances between left and right, upper and lower body.
Body fat percentage
How much of your weight is actually fat — and how much is visceral, wrapped around organs.
Total body water
Intra- and extra-cellular hydration. Reveals inflammation, retention and cellular health.
Basal metabolic rate
Calories your body burns at rest — the honest starting point for any nutrition plan.
Ready to see the real number?
Test both. Track what actually matters.
BMI · myth-busting
Myth-busting FAQ.
Isn't BMI enough on its own?
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No. BMI is a height-to-weight ratio — it can't distinguish muscle from fat, ignores hydration, and misses visceral fat entirely. It's a useful reference number, not a diagnosis. Pairing it with an InBody scan is what turns a single figure into a real picture of your body.
Am I 'overweight' if my BMI says so but I lift weights?
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Very possibly not. Muscle is denser than fat, so athletic and muscular bodies routinely land in the 'overweight' or even 'obese' BMI bracket while carrying healthy body-fat percentages. An InBody scan settles it in 60 seconds.
Can you be 'normal' BMI and still unhealthy?
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Yes — it's called being skinny-fat, or TOFI (thin outside, fat inside). Low muscle mass and high visceral fat can hide inside a 'healthy' BMI. That's exactly why we scan composition, not just weight.
How accurate is the InBody scan?
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InBody uses multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance and is widely used in NHS, sports-medicine and research settings. It's not a DEXA — but for trackable, repeatable, in-clinic composition data, it's the gold standard.
How often should I re-test?
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Every 4–8 weeks if you're actively changing training or nutrition; every 3 months for maintenance. Trends matter more than any single reading.
Do I need to prep for the scan?
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Ideally: hydrated, no heavy meal or intense workout in the 2 hours before, and no alcohol the night before. We'll walk you through it when you book.