How Is Body Fat Calculated?
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Body Fat Percentage
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Body fat is calculated using a percentage. This number represents the percent of fat in your body, as opposed to weight that is the result of lean body mass. Your body fat percentage will let you know how many pounds of your overall body weight are fat. For example, if your body fat is measured at 10 percent and you weigh 200 lbs., then you have 20 lbs of fat.
Body Fat Calculators
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There are many unreliable calculators that claim to calculate your body fat for you. These will ask for your height, weight and, possibly, your body type. Armed with this small amount of information, the body fat calculator will produce a result. If you are of an average build, the percentage may be fairly close to your actual body fat percentage. However, if you are very athletic, these tests won't produce accurate results. Athletes often carry additional weight in the form of pure muscle that can't be factored into these kinds of tests.
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BIA Body Fat Scale
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If you are looking for a reliable body fat calculation in the comfort and privacy of your own home, the best method is a body fat scale. This scale will use bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to calculate your body fat. What this means is that a small, harmless electrical current will be passed through the body. Operating on the knowledge that this electrical impulse will pass more slowly through fat than other tissues, the scale is able to measure the response time and plug this into a calculation that will estimate your body fat percentage. The disadvantages of this method are that your body temperature, position and water content at the time of testing can affect the results.
Body Fat Caliper
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For an accurate body fat measurement, you should go to a doctor, dietician or other professional who is equipped with both the tools and the knowledge to help you get correct results. The easiest way to have your body fat calculated is with a body fat caliper. The calipers will measure a skin fold on your body to determine how much subcutaneous fat is present. The measurer will then plug this number into a mathematical equation to determine your body fat percentage. This method is accurate when performed by an experienced professional.
Hydrostatic Weighing
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The most effective and reliable method of measuring body fat is not easy to come by but will yield consistent results. This method is hydrostatic weighing. Hydrostatic weighing involves submersing the individual in a large tank of water. This tank registers the amount of water that is displaced by the individual. Then, armed with this body density reading, a careful calculation will return the percentage of body fat. The downside to this method of calculating body fat is that it is usually very expensive.
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