Measurement of Percent Fatty (Adipose)
Tissue & Ratio to Muscle Mass
Body Fat Percent - How to Measure
Body Mass Index is Still a Useful Fat
Guide
If you are an average person and you are
concerned about your weight, assessing your Body Mass Index or calculating
your waist measurement in relation to your height, is quite sufficient
to determine how overweight and over-fat you are. BMI is a broad, general
but fast measure of weight-related health risks. Even looking in the mirror
or 'pinching an inch' of fat should suffice.
However, body-fat assessment is much more
specific to your actual fat content and thus provides a more accurate
and personal picture of your fat status. So if you wish to measure your
body fat percentage and get a most accurate assessment of your weight/fat
problem, here are some suggestions.
The two most common methods used are
skin-fold measurement and bioelectrical impedence analysis.
Measuring Body Fat Percentage with Skin-fold
Callipers
Body fat can be measured using simple skin-fold
callipers, although it's best to be measured by a trained person. Also,
this fat-measurement method may not work as well on severely overweight
or obese people.
To measure your fat using Skin-fold Callipers,
take two sets of measurements of skin-fold thickness (the amount of fat
just under the skin) at the upper-arm, upper-back, lower-back, stomach
and upper thigh. The fat-measurements are then averaged and put into a
formula to determine the total body fat percentage of your body.
Measuring Body Fat Percentage with Bioelectrical
Impedance
Using a BIA Scale is one of the quickest
methods we have today for determining body composition. This method is
done by using a handheld scale, a standing scale or you can lie down and
have electrodes attached to various body parts sending a signal through
the body. BIA measures the impedance or resistance to the signal as it
travels through the water that is found in the fat and muscle. The more
muscle a person has, the more water their body is able to hold. The greater
amount of water in a person's body, the easier it is for the current to
pass through, the more fat present in a person's body, more resistance
is blocking the signal. BIA is safe and it doesn't hurt, in fact you can't
even feel it. It can be accurate with a 4% margin of error but the results
can be affected by your intake of food, your body temperature and water
intake.
Measuring Body Fat Percentage with DEXA
(Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry)
The DEXA machine is a test that is used
to measure bone density. However, it can also measure body fat percentage
and can show you where it's located. DEXA uses a whole body scanner and
two different low-dose x-rays to read bone mass and soft tissue mass.
From start to finish, it takes about 10-20 minutes to do a body scan.
It provides a high degree of precision with a 2-3 % margin of error. In
fact, if the price wasn't so limiting for people, it would be considered
the criterion method of body composition analysis. The machine is also
very expensive and requires trained radiology personnel to operate which
adds to its costliness. It is a painless procedure, so you should check
with your doctor and see if this may be right for you and check to see
if your insurance company will cover the cost which is upwards of $100
or more depending on several factors.
Measuring Body Fat Percentage by Hydrostatic
Weighing
This is simply underwater weighing. This
is another of the more accurate tests for determining your body composition.
First they measure your dry weight, then, you are lowered into a water
tank until you are completely submerged. At this point you blow out any
further air that you can. Then your underwater weight is measured. The
margin of error is around 2-3% but the accuracy really depends on the
amount of air you can expel from your lungs. You must blow it all out
or it won't be as accurate as it could be. This can be disturbing for
some people if you are uncomfortable in water. There is quite a bit of
equipment required for this type of body composition test and it's very
expensive. You will often find this equipment at your local universities
or research institutions - they can be hard to access. Some universities
have been known to offer this test for around $25-$50 so call and find
out if this is offered in your area. |
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