Body Fat Measurement Techniques
Body mass index is away of measuring body fat thats based on height and weight.
Body fat measurement techniques. A 2012 study in the international journal of obesity found that 29 of people who were normal weight actually had a body fat percentage in the obese range. The widely used body mass index bmi provides a measure that allows the comparison of the adiposity of individuals of different heights and weights. In this article we describe the range of methods include those that a person can try at home. So it may miss people who look thin.
You can pick up a set of calipers for 5 10 online. These measurement techniques can help individuals set baseline values for body composition and goals for later on down the line. Another method is waist to hip ratio which gets determined by the use of a measuring tape. If its body fat youre concerned about these probably give the best trade off between cost.
Professional assessment can be around 50. A basic way to measure body fat percentage is by using a soft tape measure like the kind youd use for sewing to record measurements of different parts of the body. The body fat percentage is a measure of fitness level since it is the only body measurement which directly calculates a persons relative body composition without regard to height or weight. However with the variation in methods comes a fluctuation in accuracy.
Several brands offer at home devices that scan your body take circumference measurements of different body parts and then track your body fat via a corresponding app. Youll see this option become more readily available and accessible. There are many different methods for measuring body fat but some are more accurate than others. Calipers are the cheapest easiest and most portable method to measure body fat in specific areas.
Skinfold measurements have been used to estimate body fat for over 50 years skinfold calipers measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat the fat underneath the skin at certain body. Its one of the oldest methods in the books because its a simple calculation.