Body fat percentage -6 perfect ways to measure them.

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Body fat percentage

Body fat percentage is as significant as body weight. This is because eating a protein rich food and exercising increases the body’s muscle mass. Thus this may result in the weighing scale to stay same even if you are losing fat.

Study shows that body fat percentage can also help you to discover whether you have a correct fat to muscle ratio.This article discusses 6 perfect ways of measuring it:

1.Body fat scale:body fat percentage

One of the easiest way to quantity body fat percentage is body fat scale.

They are very handy.  They show your weight and your expected fat percentage.

 Working Procedure:

They work with the support of sensors under your feet. Thus When you step on this scale, a small electric current flows up towards your leg from the body fat scale.

The fat present in the body offers resistance to current. Greater the body fat percentage greater will be the resistance to current. This  is because fat is denser than muscles.

So it offers more resistance to current in comparison to muscles.

The sensors present in these scales then display the body fat percentage. 

Advantage :

  1. They are very handy and quickly display results.
  2. Requires no great skills
  3. No calculations needed.

Disadvantage:

  1. It uses electrical impedance. So you can’t use them on people using pacemaker.
  2. The measuring accuracy varies with food and liquid intake.

Availability:

  1. Are easily available online or in surgical shops. You can use them at home.

Accuracy: 

The body fat scale has error rate from 3.5 to 5%. But its accuracy may vary subject to the instrument used.

A skilled test supervisor is carries out this test.

  1. To access body fat percentage by this method you should first wear a swim suit or some skin tight clothing.
  2. You then take a seat in an egg shaped chamber for a short duration.
  3. The test supervisor then alters the air pressure in the chamber.

The connection between air volume and air pressure forms the basis to predict the density of body.

 Advantages:

  1. This process is quicker than hydro static weighing.
  2. The person is not submerged under water.

Disadvantages:

  1. It has restricted accessibility.
  2. It is very expensive.

2.Tape measurement:body fat percentage

It is the most basic way to measure the body fat percentage. Tapes are specially made to measure body fat percentage

Working Procedure:

For measuring the body fat percentage by this method you must first know your height in inches. Different rules are followed for both genders.

 Men:  For calculating the body fat percentage in men, you should measure the perimeter (circumference).

Take the help of some other person to make sure that you measure the largest perimeter of both your neck and abdomen.

 Calculation:

Subtract the perimeter of your neck from that of abdomen to find net perimeter value.

 Women: In case of women you should note down the perimeter of your neck waist and hips. Here also you should measure and note down the largest measurement.

 Calculation:

Add the perimeter of your waist and hips and then subtract the perimeter of neck from it .

Perimeter of waist + perimeter of hips – perimeter of neck

Precautions: 

  1. Take care not to compress the skin while taking measurements.
  2. Take least two readings and then average them.

 Advantage:

  1. The tape measurement method is simple and economical.
  2.  It Can be done comfortably at home.

Disadvantages:

  1. Body circumference calculations may not work equally in all. This is due to different body structure.

Availability:

The measuring tapes are easily available. You can buy them from amazon also.

 Accuracy:

The error may vary from 2.5 to 4.5%. Though it can be greater due to some sources of error while assessing the body fat percentage.

  1. Type of clothing may affect waist measurement.
  2. How firmly you hold them while taking measurement may also affect accuracy.
  3.  Whether are you are taking readings empty stomach or immediately after meals can as well affect the accuracy.
  4.  Your hydration level can as well affect the readings.

3.Skin fold Calipers: skinfold calipers

Skin fold calipers are also used to measure body fat percentage.You can easily buy these calipers  from the Amazon.

Working Procedure:

Different procedures are followed for both gender.

For men: To estimate the body fat percentage of men, measure fat at chest, abdomen and thigh and follow the instructions given in calipers to quantity the body fat percentage.

For women:  For women measure fat at your triceps, thigh and suprailiac. (An inch above the hip bone)

Precautions:

  1. Take help of some person to do the measurement.
  2. Take minimum two measurement or more and then take the average of them.
  3. Do measurements from one side of the body.

Advantage:

  1. Skin fold calipers are easily obtainable.You can use them at home.

Disadvantages :

  1. The fat measurement by this method requires simple anatomy know how.
  2. Some people doesn’t like their skin to be pinched.
  3. This method requires practice to acquire necessary skills.

Availability:

They are easily available. You can also buy them online.

 Accuracy:

When executed properly this technique is better than tape measurement. It is usually have plus minus 3% error rate.

4.  Hydro static underwater weighing: body fat percentage

It is also commonly known as hydro densitometry or hydro static underwater weighing. Thus it is one among the most perfect ways to find out body fat percentage.

So in this method your weight is measured on land and underwater. The body density and body fat percentage is calculated on the basis of difference between these two measurements.

Working principle: 

This method is founded on Archimedes principle. This principle states that “A submerged object displaces the liquid equivalent to its volume.”

In this method your body’s density can be calculated on the basis of your weight on land and underwater.Since fat is lighter than muscles and bones.

So more underwater weight, indicates a lower body fat percentage and vice versa.

 Working Procedure:

This test is carried out in presence of a skill test supervisor. You should follow these steps carrying out this test.

  1. Avoid eating anything at least 4 hours before hydro static weighing.
  2. Always wear a light weight bathing suit and avoid exercising before test.
  3. The test supervisor note down your body weight on land.
  4. Slowly enter the water tank from an underwater seat hanging from a scale.
  5. Sit in chair and get completely submerged in water.
  6. Repeat the process for at least 2-3 times.

The test supervisor  then calculate the average results to calculate your body fat percentage.

Advantages:

This test possess the following advantages over other tests:

  1. Hydro static underwater weighing is more exact than other commonly used methods like using body fat scales, calipers, tapes etc.
  2. This test finishes in very little time. the entire test duration is hardly 15 minutes.
  3. This test doesn’t have any side effects.

Disadvantages:

  1. Some people found it hard to get fully immersed in water.

Availability:

only medical colleges, hospitals and certain fitness center offers this test.

Accuracy: when executed properly, the error rate varies from plus minus 2 percent

Availability:

Only  medical colleges, hospitals and certain fitness center do this test.

Accuracy:

This technique is also very accurate. The error varies from 2-4 percent.

5.Air Displacement Plethysmography. (ADP):body fat percentage

 

This technique is also popularly known as bod pod.

The ADP also calculates your body fat percentage on same principle as hydro static underwater weighing.  Only difference is that it uses air in place of water.

Working Procedure:

This test is also carried out under the supervision of some skilled test supervisor.

  1. To access body fat percentage by this method you should first wear a swim suit or some skin tight clothing.
  2. You then take a seat in an egg shaped chamber for a short duration.
  3. The test supervisor then alters the air pressure in the chamber.

The connection between air volume and air pressure forms the basis to predict the density of body.

 Advantages:

  1. This process is quicker than hydro static weighing.
  2. The person is not submerged in water.

Disadvantages:

  1. It is very expensive.
  2. It has restricted accessibility.

 Availability:

Only  Medical colleges, hospitals and certain fitness center.

Accuracy:

This technique is also very accurate. The error varies from 2-4 percent.

6. MRI OR CT SCANS :MRI scan

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging & CT scan stands for computerized tomography scans.

They are the most perfect techniques for finding out body fat percentage.

These procedures basically  diagnose various medical conditions. body fat percentage is not the sole purpose of using these techniques.

Advantages:

  1. They are among the most perfect methods for measuring body fat percentage.

Disadvantages:

They are very expensive.

Availability:

Available only at medical Centers.

Accuracy:

They are the most exact among all techniques for measuring body fat percentage.

Conclusion:

There are many methods available for measuring body fat percentage. But it is very difficult to choose  one method.

This is because the most accurate methods are very costly. you cannot do them at home. On the other hand some methods are not highly accurate but are very cheap. you can use these methods at home.

So if you can’t spend much, choose from :

i ) Tapes,

ii) Skin fold calipers

iii) Body fat scale.

Whereas if accuracy is more important, choose from hydro static underwater weighing, ADP and MRI.

So whatever method you choose , measure regularly before drawing any conclusion.