How to Calculate Body Fat Using Bone Structure

For years, Body Mass Index(or BMI) has been the standard for measuring body fat percentage. But BMI only looks at a person's weight and height, and ignores a number of important factors such as frame size, muscle mass, and bone structure. Therefore, to get an accurate body fat calculation it is important to take all the necessary factors into account.

Things You'll Need

• Scale
• Doctor
• Body Fat Calipers

Instructions

1. Many BMI calculators now take body type into account when calculating a person's body fat. They give different ranges of healthy weights for people with thin,medium, or athletic body builds. This is slightly more accurate than the standard height and weight measurement and still convenient for people at home, but also not incredibly accurate. No two people have the same bone structure so it's impossible to classify people into a certain category.

2. One of the more accurate weighs to measure body fat while taking bone structure into account is hydrostatic testing. This is the method most commonly used by doctors who are trying to get an accurate reading of body fat percentage. To perform hydrostatic testing, the person is submerged in water and then weighed. Because fat floats while muscle and bone sink, the difference between weight inside the pool and outside the pool is the amount of fat a person has.

3. Another more accurate method for calculating body fat while taking bone structure into account is Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. Muscle is more conductive to electricity than fat, so a BIA test sends a small electrical shock through the body, and measures how much resistance it receives. Many nicer home scales can measure body fat percentage through BIA, and some doctors office can give more accurate readings with more advanced BIA testing.

4. Calipers are also a common tool for measuring body fat. The person being tested pinches their skin together in certain places on the body and uses the calipers to measure how big the skin fold is. After taking a number of measurements around the body, a formula is applied to determine how much fat the person has on their body.

5. Weight loss is a key to living a long and healthy lifestyle, and it is important to get an accurate reading of your weight to know where you need to go to reach your ideal weight. Accounting for bone structure will give you a better idea of what your weight actually is.

Tips & Warnings

• While many at-home methods of measuring body fat are effective for the average person, people with serious weight concerns may want to see a doctor to get the most accurate calculation.

• Bone structure and health are very important, especially for older women. Consult a doctor to measure the strength of your bones.