Published: 2021-10-30
Views: 147
Author: Riley White
Published in: Fitness

To understand how your body weight works, you must note that the percentage of your body weight is made up of fat is usually referred to as your body fat percentage.

It is made up of both storage and essential body fat.

Some ways that you can calculate your body fat percentage includes

• Bioelectrical impedance analysis.
• Skin-fold methods
• Anthropometric methods etc.

We are going to look at a simple method for calculating your body fat using only a scale and a calculator.

What is body fat?

A lot of people hate body fat even though it serves an important purpose. Your body usually accumulates fat from the foods that you eat which are usually stored in your body in deposits that can be used for energy, insulation, and protection.

To live and function, everyone requires some fat. Although when there is much fat in your body, it can lead to obesity as well as other related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

It's not always as simple as looking in the mirror or stepping on a scale to determine how much body fat you have.

For example, in comparison, a bodybuilder and an obese person may have the same weight, but their body fat percentages are very different.

This is why the amount of muscle or fat in your body cannot be determined solely by your weight. Instead, you'll need to figure out what percentage of your body fat is made up of.

What is body fat percentage?

Many experts believe calculating the fat percentage is more accurate than the well-known BMI. The major advantage that the fat percentage has over BMI is that it differentiates between fat and muscle.

BMI, on the other hand, does not, which can be perplexing because even athletes can be classified as overweight by BMI due to their substantial muscle mass.

Body fat percentage versus BMI

Your body BMI is a short abbreviation that stands for body mass index.

This number differs from your body fat percentage in that it simply indicates whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.

Using BMI alone will not tell you how much fat you have on your body.

For example, an athlete may have a low body fat percentage but a high BMI due to the built-up muscle.

How to Evaluate Body Fat Percentage

A typical body fat percentage chart will give you details of your health.

This is why it is very important for you to know how to measure or evaluate your body fat.  The following will help you out.

#1. Skin Fold Caliper

The skinfold caliper is a technique that involves pinching your fat with your fingers and then taking a reading with a body fat caliper.

The reading can then be compared to a chart to determine how much body fat you have.

This simple method is easy to carry out as well as accurate and dependable. Although, you must take another measurement in the same exact spot.

Please take note, you may need the assistance of a fitness professional to be able to carry it out correctly. In addition, those whose weight is found to be around 35 pounds or more should note using the methods as it may not be very effective.

#2. Bioelectric Impedance Analysis

The second method on this list is the Bioelectric Impedance Analysis which measures the flow of an electric current through your muscles, the procedure aids in the measurement of your body fat.

Note that muscle usually holds water and is it is also conductive. On the other hand, fat has lower water content and is less conductive.

When you apply this method, the strength of the impedance is to compare the weight and height metrics which is used to calculate your body fat percentage.

The test is simple to administer and reasonably priced.

The disadvantage is that its accuracy is questionable because the results may vary depending on the level of hydration.

What's the best way to measure body fat?

#1. Weight

This is a measurement of your total body mass, which includes bones, blood, organs, and fat.

You'll need dependable scales for it to be accurate.

If you're keeping track of your weight over time, weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same conditions, and on the same scales.

It's best to do it in the morning after you've emptied your bladder.

#2. Body Mass Index (BMI)

You can use it to calculate your body fat by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height squared.

The higher the number, the more obese you are and the greater your health risks.

Weight to height ratio

The weight-to-height ratio is a simple way that you can use to check how much abdominal (belly) fat you have.

It is usually carried out by using a piece of string to measure your height, then fold the length of string that corresponds to your height in half and check to see if it fits around your waist.

When you find out that it does not fit, you are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as heart and circulatory disease.