Body Fat Percentage

Measuring Fat

Scales

When monitoring fitness and fat levels, jumping on the scales is a common indicator to many. Though it can help towards monitoring our fitness, the number on the scales is more often then not a misleading number. It is not a clear representation of fat loss and gain whilst being subject to factors that influence your weight at any given time.

Bad Indicator Of Fat

So why is the number on our scales a bad indicator of our fat levels and fitness?

• Our weight according to the scales does not tell us how much fat we have lost or gained because our weight fluctuations consist of more then just fat. Our muscle mass, water retention, bone mass and organs amongst other things contribute to changes in our body weight.
• Take for example the ideal situation for many people who want to lose weight and gain muscle or tone. If you are being successful with this goal, it is possible to not only maintain your weight, but even to gain weight. While you're losing fat, you may gain sufficient muscle (which incidentally weighs more then fat) to increase your overall weight. Home scales don't tell you this important information. In the same situation they would simply tell you that you have gained weight and to many people, this simply translates as bad news. The primary piece of information that people seek from regular scales but are not receiving is their fat percentage.
• It is possible for a heavier and wide looking person to be in a much better position then a person whose fat percentage may be too high despite weighing less and looking lean.
• A high fat percentage, regardless of your weight and size, is bad news for your health.

Fat Percent Ranges

Fat percentage is a good indication of fitness and an excellent way to strive for a goal represented by a number. Fat percentage numbers indicate different things for different people and are reliant upon age and sex.

* According to The American Council on Exercise

Ways of measuring body fat percentage

Body Fat Scales

These scales look and are used very much the same as regular scales, but give you much more information, including your fat percentage. They work by using bioelectrical impedance, the most popular and reputable scales being from the company "Tanita".

• After inputting your height and age into the scales, a weak electrical current is sent up through your body.
• The scales can calculate the mass of your fat on the basis that fat is more difficult for the electrical currents to pass through then muscle
• Other information provided by fat percentage scales include bone density, fitness rating, water level and muscle mass
• Water levels in the body can alter the results causing day to day inaccuracies
• Vary in price but the quality more accurate scales (such as Tanita) are hundreds of dollars

Hydrostatic Weighing

This is the most accurate method of establishing fat percentage. However it is also involved, the method requiring a hydrostatic weighing tank which are hard to come by. This is not aHydrostatic Weighing feasible means for most people in monitoring their fat levels on a regular basis.

Skinfold Calipers

For more on calipers >>

A very cheap and accurate means of measuring your fat percentage, this little tool lost its presence in the common household to the scale amongst piles of other measuring gimmicks. A primitive tool, simplicity is the key with this method requiring measurements of fat directly.

• Skin is gently pulled from the muscle and measured with the calipers to the millimeter. This is done a couple of times and averaged.
• These measurements are used in conjunction with body weight (so don't throw away those bathroom scales) to calculate
      > body fat percentage
      > lean mass
• Some Calipers can have many additional features that guide you in making accurate measurements and other digital features