Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)
A quick, non-invasive test that uses a small electrical signal to estimate your body fat percentage, muscle mass, and hydration levels.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) is a quick and painless test that estimates your body composition — how much fat, muscle, and water your body contains — by sending a tiny, harmless electrical signal through your body. It takes just a few minutes and involves standing on a special scale or holding sensors while the machine calculates your results.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is a non-invasive method for estimating body composition that measures the impedance (resistance and reactance) of body tissues to a low-level alternating electrical current. Because lean tissue containing water and electrolytes conducts electricity well while fat tissue acts as an insulator, BIA uses predictive equations incorporating height, weight, age, and sex to derive estimates of total body water, fat-free mass, and fat mass.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
BIA provides a more complete picture of your health than weight alone, helping Dr Joseph Wang and the Accord Medical team track whether your weight loss is coming from fat rather than muscle — a critical distinction for designing effective, personalised treatment plans.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.