New scanner can help fight fat

Kate Norman is training for a body sculpting competition and says body scanner results have changed her training programme.Photo/Andrew Warner

A body analysis tool that is hoped to be used by high-performance athletes is being trialled at a Papamoa gym and is changing the way people train and view weight loss.

The $40,000 Global Bodies body scanner, GBX SCAN II, can break down a person's body composition into body fat, soft lean mass, muscle comparisons, as well as measuring bone density, protein, mineral, and water levels.

Papamoa's Oceanblue Health Club owner Marc Patel said in a traditional skin fold test many weight lifters or body builders would be classed obese because of their size.

He said athletes and trainers using the body scanner could see a breakdown of what was healthy weight or muscle, and what was unhealthy weight such as abdominal fat.

"What we can do with this information is work out a unique programme for each person. It's the first time we can look inside someone's body so easily," he said.

Body sculptor Kate Norman said the scanner had helped her to identify her weaknesses and she had changed her training to suit. "It tells me what I need to work on," she said.

Training alongside powerlifter Darren Elliot, Kate Norman said the scanner could cater for people wanting different results from their bodies.

Mr Elliot said he was keen to try out the scanner to help goal setting for his training.

"It gives you objective measures," he said.

Mr Patel said based on the reaction of the people involved, the club was looking to buy the machine and base it at the world-class mega health club and high-performance centre being built in Bethlehem.

Mr Patel said the analysis provided people with a guide to where they needed to be healthy, making sure any weight loss was body fat and not muscle mass.

"Muscle is the first thing to go when you lose weight," he said, explaining that the number on a weight scale can mislead people into unhealthy weight loss.

"The data doesn't hold back any punches. It shows the person exactly where they are from a health perspective."