Longevity Assessment: Body Composition

The Equinox Longevity Assessment is a nine-part series designed to provide members with evidence-based tools to measure and benchmark their fitness age, and provide training guidance to optimize performance. Developed with Michael Crandall, CSCS, a Tier X Coach at Equinox, the full program can be accessed here.

Your body composition, not your weight or your body mass index (BMI), is the best indicator of your health. For years, BMI was the gold standard. But a 2014 study from UCLA found that 54 million Americans whose BMI classifies them as overweight or obese are not. The problem with BMI is that it doesn’t take into account where the weight is distributed. People with large amounts of muscle — like professional athletes — may have a high BMI but not have too much fat. That’s because their weight is distributed in a way that makes sense for their bodies and physical pursuits.