What is the most accurate way of measuring body fat?
What is the most accurate way of measuring body fat?
Which devices and brand would you recommend?
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Measuring Body Composition
Whenever we embark on any type of fitness program, we expect to make some kind of progress.? Otherwise, we would just be wasting out time.? Measuring our progress is very important not only to let us know if and how quickly we are improving, but also because it provides encouragement for us to stay on track.? However, no measurement is perfectly accurate, and not all?measurements are appropriate for every goal.? Using?a measurement that is irrelevant to your goal?is likely to provide meaningless or inaccurate information.?As a result, we should make sure that the measurements that we take are appropriate for?our goals.? The?tools and measurements?for monitoring progress can span the full range of indicators that measure health, physical appearance/body composition, and athletic performance.? However, we will stick to indicators of physical appearance and body composition because these are the ones that generate the most interest in health and fitness.
This?article will list some measurement parameters along with their objectivities, accuracies,?and with synopses of their?uses and limitations.? For the purposes of this discussion, the objectivity of a measurement is defined as the reading’s independence from individual interpretation.? For example, weight is considered to be very objective because if the scale shows your weight to be 145 lbs, it will do so regardless of what you want it to show.? Also, for the purposes of this discussion, the accuracy is defined as the ability to accurately indicate body composition such as fat percentage.
Weight
Theory: Heavier person is fatter.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Very objective but very inaccurate
When used by itself, weight gives no useful information on body composition.? However, when combined?with percentage body fat measurements, it can be useful in estimating lean mass.? It can also be useful for athletes who compete in weight divisions (i.e. boxers).
Body Mass Index or BMI (Weight in kg?divided by height2 in meters)
Theory: If 2 people are the same weight, then the shorter is fatter.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Very Objective but very inaccurate
BMI?gives no useful information on body composition and it is useless for computing lean mass.? However, its convenience makes it useful for studies of a general population.
Girth Measurements with a Measuring Tape
Theory: Smaller girth (especially around waist) is leaner.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Reasonably objective but?slightly inaccurate
Girth measurements do not directly measure body composition but they can tell you if your waist or hip measurement is expanding or shrinking.?? Girth measurements are very convenient and are useful for monitoring trends.? In addition, using a measuring tape is the best way to see if you will fit into those new clothes.
Photograph
Theory: If you look leaner, then you probably are.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Somewhat objective?but somewhat inaccurate
The results that you get from a photograph are?affected by the?lighting, the camera and even photographer technique.? However, if you use constant photography conditions, before and after pictures are very useful for measuring your progress.
Buoyancy Measurement in a Flotation Tank
Theory: Muscle is less buoyant than fat.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Very objective and very accurate
Buoyancy measurement is the most accurate way to measure body composition on living subjects and is widely accepted as the gold standard.? However, it is inconvenient and it?requires a high degree of technical competence from the tester.? Also, trapped gas can affect the measurement.? Regardless, it is the most accurate way to measure percentage body fat for purposes of estimating lean mass.
Skin fold Measurements with Calipers
Theory: The less you can pinch, the leaner you are.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Reasonably objective and reasonably accurate
Skin fold Measurements are second to buoyancy measurements in accuracy.? However, it only measures subcutaneous (below the skin) fat and it requires some technical knowledge by the person who is taking the measurement.? Generally, its accuracy increases with the number of places on your body that are measured.? It can be very useful because fat below the skin is usually what determines how well your abs are showing or how you look in a swimsuit.
Bioelectrical Impedance
Theory: Muscle conducts electricity better than fat does.
Objectivity/Accuracy: Very objective but slightly accurate
This measurement assumes average arm length for height, along with constant hydration and electrolyte levels.? Deviations in any one of these parameters can significantly affect the measurement.? However, it is convenient and easy to use.
As mentioned before, we pursue fitness for a variety of?reasons and there are a variety of methods?for measuring our progress towards our goals.? Whether your goal is to fit into those new clothes, to look great for that photo shoot, or simply to feel better, it is important that the means of measuring your progress is relevant to your individual goal.
In addition to maintaining his career as a professional pilot, Roger has spent much time pursuing formal and self directed studies of the human physiology and metabolism. He is also qualified as a health nutritionist and a fitness trainer. He has written numerous articles for www.spartafit.com.
Digital Body Fat Scales for Measuring Body Fat!
An important step towards achieving better fitness is to get rid of the extra fat in your body. If you take your fitness seriously then this is something which you will need to tackle on an ongoing basis.
Having excess fat in your body can be the cause of many ailments in your body. It causes increase in blood pressure and other heart related diseases. It also affects your day to day life as a higher body fat content makes regular tasks seem more strenuous. If you are an athlete, extra bodyweight slows you down.
But for be able to reduce the fat content in your body, you should have some mechanism to measure your body fat content so that you can continuously track the progress of your efforts. Over a period of time, with continuous effort you should be able to reduce the fat content or at least keep it in check.
Using Digital body fat scales is an easy way to measure your body fat accurately. There are several methods available to measure body fat but of all the methods available to measure body fat, using body fat scales is the easiest. Some of the benefits of using body fat scales include Easy of use and Affordability.
Though it is important to know the actual measurements, it is even more important to work upon it and improve upon the measurements. With regular exercise and proper diet you should be able to improve upon the readings so you need to concentrate on the changes in your measurements. For consistent readings, it is better to do the measurements around the same time of the day.
Why Measuring Body Fat Is More Important Than Weighing Yourself On The Scale
When people start down the road to a healthier lifestyle, their first concern is most often their weight. After all, popular health news is full of warnings for the additional risks overweight people face, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, along with numerous other diseases.
While walking the path to greater health, the dieter will begin making smarter decisions for their overall health and fitness, but their primary concern always circles back to, “How much weight have I lost?” Weight loss is a vital part of ensuring a healthier life style, but it is not the only objective: maintaining a healthy ratio of body fat is just as important.
We’ve been taught since we were children that people come in all shapes and sizes. A very true statement, and one that is most often forgotten when evaluating our own bodies. When people strive to lose weight, they are actually seeking to lose the extra fat their body is carrying so they can present a more attractive figure. The problem arises when people believe that they can lose that fat simply by limiting the quantity of food eaten on a daily basis. Your body needs that food so that when you work on the other half of your diet regular exercise there are calories available to burn.
A person can be at a “normal” weight and still have excessive fat, or vice versa, they can be overweight without having an excessively high ratio of body fat. When you weigh yourself, you do not take into account what your bone structure may be like or what your muscle composition is compared to your body fat. You may think that you are overweight, but you may just need to work on reducing your body fat and replacing it with healthy muscle mass.
Dieting alone will likely just remove weight through the purging of water from your muscles. Adding in regular exercise will target the fat that you really want to lose. If you lose water weight but not fat, you will not be able to maintain your smaller structure for a long period of time. Lose fat instead, and the pounds will stay off.
Body fat is measured as a percentage of your total weight. For men, 18% and under is considered to be healthy. While for women, who biologically have a far different body structure, your body fat should be maintained at a level of 25% or less. For either gender, a body fat composition over 35% is considered obese.
Athletes commonly have the lowest percentage of body fat, but low body fat can be just as dangerous as high body fat, besides needing some cushion to protect our fragile bones from injury, a body fat percentage of less than 5% for men and 12% for women can be indicative of an eating disorder and can lead to increased instances of illness.
The smart dieter will either buy their own body fat analysis equipment or have a test performed by their trainer at the gym or by their family physician. There are Body Mass Index (BMI) calculators available on the internet that will estimate your body fat percentage based upon weight versus height, but because of differences in bone structure, this is not a reliable test.
More reliable tests of body fat include comparing measurements of different parts of your body with your overall weight, health and age; using calipers to measure skinfold thickness; or using under water weighing techniques. You may use the Bio-electrical impedance test, which calculates body fat by measuring the length of time it takes a signal to pass between your hands or feet, though it tends to be fairly inaccurate.
By combining a healthier diet with regular exercise you can reduce your body fat percentage to a healthier level while presenting a newer, slimmer you. Forget about your scale, it lies. Instead, maintain a chart of your body fat percentage taken at intervals during your diet, and you will find that as you make progress, you will feel better, look better and will enjoy a healthier future!