Air displacement plethysmography is a rather fancy, specialised test, involving a rather well-named machine called the BodPod. We've reached the options that lab-level accuracy (and a cost). Luckily, most national gym chains, such as David Lloyd, F45 and Virgin Active will have their own available to members. Unlike smart scales, these bulky, costly machines aren't exactly the kind of thing you'll buy for the corner of your bathroom. These contraptions work using something called bioelectrical impedance analysis, the rate at which an electrical current can travel through your body. Prices range from about £30 upwards, and while accuracy may vary, it may be helpful to use the readings as a benchmark, if you're looking to increase or decrease body fat.Īnother fairly accessible option is body composition measuring machines, such as DEXA and other 3D scanners. While they're not as cheap as your average bathroom scales, there are plenty of smart scales on the market that provide weight readings, as well as your body fat, muscle mass, water and bone density. Even then, there's a risk of human error. Still, you'll need an expert to help you with this one. For example, the amount of fat we carry around our waist can increase our risk of serious health ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes and high blood pressure. The caliper method can be useful in identifying where you may be carrying excess body fat, as a precursor to diagnosing certain conditions. This rather old-school – and uncomfortable – method of body fat measurement involves using calipers to pinch the fat on certain areas of the body (triceps, chest, quad, waist, etc.) and measuring the skinfold. You could estimate your body fat percentage to be about 25% using this calculation: If you're happy with a rough estimate, then, luckily for you, maths is here to help.Ī study published in the British Journal of Nutrition uses the following equations to predict body fat percentages:įor women: (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x age) – 5.4Īs such, say you were a 5ft, 4-inch 25-year-old woman who weighs 120 pounds – you would have a BMI of 20.5. But (there's always a but, isn't there?) as previously mentioned, you're not going to have an exact figure without the help of medical professionals and a stint in a lab. Is there a way to calculate your own body fat percentage? There are several – many of which can be done at home and without eye-watering costs. 'For example fat distributed centrally around your organs is more of a risk factor for metabolic diseases than subcutaneous fat elsewhere.' 'Distribution of fat, which can be more important when assessing risk of disease,' Dr Frankie Jackson-Spence, NHS doctor, says. Overall measures of body fat also usually don't pinpoint where on the body excess fit sits. However, unless professionally done, body fat percentage measures are pretty inaccurate (sorry, fancy scale at your gym). 24 Best Cardio Workouts, From 5 to 45 MinutesĪs you've likely heard, BMI is not a perfect measure – for example, it fails to account for muscle mass, which, of course, body fat percentage does.6 causes of a weight loss plateau & what to do.Working it out is simple: just divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared.
The NHS uses BMI (body mass index), which requires no special tools or tech to calculate. Is your BMI or body fat percentage a better measure of health?ĭepends who you ask. While body fat percentage can be a fairly useful indicator of health – as mentioned, both high and low body fat are associated with certain health risks. What is body fat, exactly?īody fat is measured by percentage, calculated by how much body fat you have in relation to the rest of your body (like your bones, muscle mass, organs, etc.).
#Images of body fat percentages how to
How to know what's a good place to be resting at? Here's the lowdown. On the flip side of this, people with a low muscle mass and an unhealthily high body fat percentage open themselves up to health risks, illnesses and ailments. Why? Well, as the late biologist Rose Frisch discovered in her research, evaluating weight alone can be misleading – as muscles are heavy (80% water compared to 5-10% water in fatty tissue), meaning that many athletes she analysed appeared in the ‘normal’ weight range, despite having no periods, as a direct consequence of their body composition aka r excessive leanness. Knowing the correct body fat percentage for women might sound a little too heavy on the science for the non-athletes of us out there.īut understanding this can be helpful when it comes to knowing that your physique is in an a-okay place.
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