Tanita SC-240 Instruction Manual page 27

- What is the visceral fat?
Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT) has been associated with increased risk of developing lifestyle-related
diseases. Accordingly, knowing and periodically checking the estimated VAT accumulation serves as
one factor of a number of factors in assessing the prevention of lifestyle related diseases.
Tanita has developed the technology for measuring the VAT accumulation risk through bioelectrical
impedance analysis (BIA) in comparison with image analysis applied to magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), in addition to the established technology for measuring the percent of body fat. The VAT
accumulation risk is calculated by estimating the VAT area by the BIA method on the basis of MRI
image processing. This method has a higher correlation than the estimation of the VAT accumulation
risk based on BMI or abdominal circumference (waist circumference), allowing estimation that
corresponds more precisely to individuals.
* The VAT area by MRI is calculated by carrying out an image processing of the cross section of the
lumber vertebra L4-L5 regions.
(Fig. 1 - Fig. 3: Research results by N. Y. Columbia University and Jikei University Published by the
North American Association for the Study of Obesity [NAASO] in 2004.)
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