Primary Care
Move Beyond BMI to Personalize Care
Primary care providers are often the first touchpoint for patients across the entire spectrum of health—from those struggling with malnutrition and sarcopenia to those living with severe obesity. Relying solely on weight and BMI can limit a provider’s ability to truly assess and support patient health.
That’s where body composition analysis comes in.
Primary care providers are faced with an aging population and more and more patients living with obesity who seek care for their chronic diseases. Changes in obesity treatment options, including new anti-obesity medications that demonstrate effective weight loss in the long term, mean more and more general practitioners will need to provide comprehensive obesity care.
Weight loss alone is an insufficient outcome to measure progress, body composition is important to know where weight loss is coming from (muscle, fat, water) in order to adapt nutrition and exercise recommendations to keep weight off long term. Aging patients, those with chronic disease, as well as those pursuing wellness and anti-aging procedures need to know how their body composition measures up in order to achieve optimal health and stay motivated an compliant with treatment plans. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) can be done with convenient, accurate scales positioned in the office for all patients to check in and make changes to their lifestyles.
Foundational Metrics for Preventive and Personalized Care
Patient care is evolving, and primary care is moving beyond BMI as the only metric. New treatments and guidelines support a more personalized approach—grounded in objective data. Backed by the AMA, body composition analysis helps providers better assess excess adiposity and guide whole-person care.
Enhance Patient Monitoring with Objective Body Composition Data
As treatment options evolve, clinically meaningful insights are essential. seca’s medical body composition analyzers provide precise, reliable data on fat mass, muscle mass, and body water—all in a quick, non-invasive scan. Empower your primary care team to make informed decisions, track progress, and keep patients engaged in their care.
Meet patients where they are—at every stage of health.
Healthcare is evolving—and primary care teams are managing aging populations, rising obesity, chronic conditions, and growing interest in wellness and longevity. Body composition analysis with Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA) helps providers move from reactive to proactive care by revealing changes in fat, muscle, and water—enabling personalized plans and better patient engagement, no matter where your patients are at in their care journey.
Prevention
Incorporate body composition analysis into annual wellness visits to create a more complete picture of your patient’s health. Identifying early shifts in muscle or fat mass can help you spot metabolic risk sooner and tailor your preventive care approach more effectively.
Treatment
Modern treatments—from lifestyle interventions to medications and referrals for surgery—should be guided by more than just BMI. Use seca’s medical-grade body composition analysis to track fat loss while protecting muscle, ensuring your patients achieve sustainable, healthy outcomes.
Management
Obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions demand more than a short-term fix. By integrating body composition into long-term care plans, you can support ongoing health conversations and provide your patients with data that motivates continued progress and accountability.
Videos and Media
Real Feedback. Real Customers.
Concierge Medicine meets Advanced Body Composition Solutions
A Personalized Approach to Weight Management
In a patient-focused setting, Dr. Nguyen, MD, and her colleagues use seca’s medical body composition analyzer in addition to blood tests to quickly determine a patient’s state of health. Patients gratefully experience a reduction in their daily medicine intake and an improvement in their quality of life.
Body Composition Analysis in Clinical Application
David Voellinger, MD describes the value of body composition analysis in clinical application. He speaks to his use of the seca medical Body Composition Analyzer (mBCA) pre-op and the value of being able to determine the development of fat mass and skeletal muscle mass independently when determining an individualized weight loss regimen for his patients.
Medical Validation of the seca Body Composition Analyzers
Watch to learn more about our validations
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Learn about the crucial factors that influence body composition measurements
Health Uncensored with Dr. Drew
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KEY BODY COMPOSITION METRICS FOR PRIMARY CARE
Fat Mass Percentage
Fat Mass Percentage reveals how much of the body is fat—adding precision to routine visits. In primary care, it supports cardiometabolic risk management, personalized counseling, and tracking response to medications or lifestyle changes—especially when BMI alone falls short.
Visceral Adipose Tissue
Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) surrounds internal organs and is tied to insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease. Even at a normal BMI, high VAT signals hidden risk. Tracking it helps primary care providers catch issues early and guide preventive care or treatment decisions.
Skeletal Muscle Mass over Age
Muscle mass declines with age—starting around 30 and accelerating after 60. This trend helps PCPs reframe weight loss talks, detect sarcopenia early, and highlight the importance of nutrition and strength training to maintain mobility, independence, and prevent chronic disease.
Segmental Skeletal Muscle Mass
Segmental muscle analysis shows muscle mass by region, helping PCPs spot imbalances from disuse, injury, or neuromuscular issues. It supports functional assessments, PT referrals, and tailored activity plans—plus tracking recovery after surgery, injury, or illness.
Body Composition Chart
The Body Composition Chart maps fat and muscle mass into four body types—independent of BMI. It gives PCPs a clear visual to guide wellness visits, track progress, and tailor care. Whether focusing on fat loss, muscle gain, or health maintenance, it makes patient goals easier to see and support.
BMI
BMI is a common screening tool, but it can’t distinguish fat from muscle or show fat distribution. In primary care, combining BMI with body composition analysis gives a clearer risk picture, improves patient conversations, and avoids mislabeling muscular or low-muscle individuals.
Meet the Treatment Tracker
Finally, a practical way to connect lifestyle, medications, and outcomes. This tool helps primary care providers visualize body composition changes over time—empowering early intervention, goal setting, and more meaningful conversations with every patient.
Set Targets & Track Goals
Establish clear, achievable goals for muscle gain or fat loss. Use visual feedback to engage patients and support long-term lifestyle change.
Visualize Changes Alongside Treatments
Plot body composition changes next to new medications, exercise plans, or referrals—making outcomes easier to track and explain.
A Clearer View of Current Body Composition
See the full picture—not just weight. Spot hidden risks like sarcopenia or central adiposity in patients with a “normal” BMI.
Adjust Treatment Plans
Tailor lifestyle guidance, referrals, or prescriptions based on real trends—supporting early intervention and long-term health.
Enhance Shared Decision-Making
Patients understand progress better when they can see it. Visual data supports education, motivation, and trust.
