How to Measure Body Fat

Body fat is an important indicator for health risks such as stroke, heart attack and cancer. Here's how to measure body fat and combat disease through early detection.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Accurate height and weight measurements

Determine Body fat Percentages

1. Know that body fat is commonly measured by calculating Body Mass Index, which is a number based on a person's height and weight. According to the National Institute of Health, the healthiest range for most people is between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, and anything 30 and over is obese.
2. Know that a BMI between 20 and 22 is considered ideal and a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight. However, many body builders have a BMI of 16 to 18 percent, and will drop down to levels under 12 percent for women and six percent for men in competition.
3. Find your body mass index with the BMI calculator at Livestrong.com.
4. Calculate your own BMI. First, multiply your weight in pounds by 703. Divide that number by your height in inches, then divide again by your height in inches.
5. Use a chart to calculate the health risks associated with your body weight such as the one at the American Heart Association Web site (see Resources below).

Use Other Methods to Measure Body Fat

6. Conduct a girth test, using a tape measure, or use a caliper to conduct a pinch, or skin fold test.
7. Have body fat measured through hydrostatic, or underwater, weighing. It has long been considered the most accurate method of measuring body fat, but it can be less effective for people with high bone density such as athletes.
8. Get a full-body scan using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry or DEXA technology that measures bone mineral content to determine body fat.
9. Have your body tested using a variety of methods, including infrared to measure fat and water composition of body fat, air displacement or electrical signals. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, or BIA, is beginning to replace hydrostatic weighing as the most highly regarded method of measuring body fat. Read more about measuring body fat and body fat analysis at the New Fitness Web site (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Know that most BMI calculators available online are for average adults, not children. If you are very athletic or very muscular, your BMI may not be a true indicator of your body fat.

Who Can Help: