TRUE OR FALSE : Muscle Weighs More Than Fat
Written by Kanika Kohli | Reviewed by Adiana Castro, MS, RDN, CDN, CLT
This is False! Weight is an objective measurement - one pound equals one pound. On a scale, one pound of muscle is going to weigh the same as one pound of fat – just like one pound of gold is going to weigh the same as one pound of feathers. While one pound of fat and lean muscle weigh the same, their composition varies immensely. Muscle is much denser than fat, which means muscle occupies less space (volume) in the body compared to fat. Muscle has a leaner appearance due to its high density whereas fat occupies more space (volume) in the body. Two people could weight the same but could look very different depending on their body composition – a person with high body-fat percentage versus a person with high lean muscle percentage will be in two different sizes of clothes and health risk.
As we age our body composition changes, we lose muscle mass and our body fat percentage increases – even though we may weigh the same we don't look or feel the same due to changes in our body composition. However, the good news is that diet and exercise can help attenuate these effects of aging. A diet rich in lean protein (seafood, grass-fed dairy, poultry, lean meats and plant proteins), fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and healthy fats (omega 3 fatty acids, plant oils, nuts, seeds and avocado) along with exercise (resistance and endurance) couple of times a week can help improve body composition.
Healthy Body Fat range (% Body fat) (ACSM)
