How to Measure Body Fat

I recently got a chance to watch "The Social Network" that elicited the numerous lawsuits that were primarily a reason for the success of what is now known as the social media site known as Facebook.

Of course, with the genius of Sean Parker (Napster, Causes) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), this has turned into a phenomenon that has made its way out of the hallowed portals of Harvard, and to every corner of the earth.

While it was never meant to be a dating site, however, having your profile up means that you've finally arrived (if you will!) with your own digital space, and one can't help but notice the number of profiles where people are doing their absolute best to "look good".

It's the 'digital version' of your offline life… and yeah, people make it a point to maintain their online/ offline reputation alright!

At another level altogether, in matters of health and fitness, the amount of body fat that you have is directly proportional to how good you look, and while that's not the only reason why one should have as less body fat as possible, one can also expect a healthier life as a result of reducing the amount of body fat.

And a good start would be to know how much you've got, and how much you need to reduce it to. And this begins by being able to measure the amount of body fat that one has on their body.

So let's look at the various ways by which one can measure body fat…

Measuring Body Fat – Techniques and Formulas

On an average, it is considered to be normal if men had a body weight percentage of 2 % to 24 % for men as well as 10 % to 31 % for women. And while each individual is different, the amount that is adequate for each individual can be determined by a doctor, yet the first step to is to find out how much body weight percentage your body contains.

And so here are a few methods that have been used, and that improve one's likelihood of

1. Height-Weight Tables

These tables determine the ideal weight one should be at by someone's height and body frame size. However, it does not give you the body fat percentage at all.

2. Body Mass Index

This system employs the formula,

BMI = Weight (in kgs) * Height ^ 2 (in meters)

Note: Divide the weight that you measure in pounds by 2.2046 and then use the new value in the formula.

3. Skinfold Measurements

For this method, one normally uses body fat calipers, and in consulting with an experienced examiner will one not only get measured properly (which they use on the right body locations) but they will also be able to give you an accurate measurement.

4. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis

This method uses body fat scales (and not calipers) along with equations that can give you an accurate measurement of the body fat that you have.

5. Hydrostatic weighing

As simple as this is, the method used here is merely underwater weighing. This examiner finds out how much water you displace from a tank to calculate the body density.

Further, the use of equations also reveals how much body fat one has, and although these units are hard to find and are expensive to use, they are actually the most accurate of the lot.

In Closing

And no matter whether you have your digicams and Facebook profiles up and running, these are the only methods by which one can use to take steps towards a fitter life.