Malton Schexneider is a practicing physical therapist, nationally known speaker, former university professor, author, orthopedic specialist, & personal success coach to people seeking lifestyle transformation.
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Archive for Body Fat Percentage
Nov
14
Body Composition Scale – Body Fat – How Is Yours?
Posted by: | Comments‘Body fat’ is a common term. However, many people link this term to obesity, cholesterol and an unhealthy constitution. While excess body fat content can cause many severe problems, the body requires a certain amount of body fat for various metabolic and structural functions.
Body fat is created in the body through the absorption of fats in the foods you eat. As the body breaks down these fats, two byproducts are released into the body – glycerol and fatty acids. The liver processes glycerol into glucose and stores it as a stock of energy. Fatty acids provide energy for all major tissues, especially for the heart muscles and the skeletal muscles. So, it is very important to include the correct amount of fatty substances in the diet.
Here are a few major functions of body fats:
* Body fats help to maintain healthy skin and hair.
* Adequate body fat allows you to maintain the right body temperature.
* Body fats are the sources of energy in the body.
* Body fats are necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of cells.
* Body fats provide cushioning for organs and tissues.
* Body fats act as a shock absorber for bones.
* The body will not absorb many vital vitamins like A, E, D and K unless they combine with fats.
* Body fats are also believed to act as immunity boosters to protect the body from ailments.
Excess Body Fat – Why Is It Undesirable?
While the body cannot function smoothly without body fat, you must remember that too much body fat can adversly affect the systems of the body. The fats absorbed by the body but not immediately needed do not burn off but get stored in the body. Such accumulation of body fats may lead to obesity that can then set off many other health issues like breathing difficulties, arthritis and heart disease.
To prevent problems associated with excess body fat, one must know the current body fat percentage in the body and the ideal percentage required. According to the American Council on Exercise, body fat should ideally constitute– – 17 percent of the total body weight of a man and for women, body fat should be around 21 – 24 percent of total body weight.
With the various fat measurement techniques available today, it is very easy to keep track of your body fat percentage and take steps to a healthy lifestyle. Four fat measurement methods are Home Body Fat Scales, Navy Method, Hydrostatic Weighing and Skinfold Calipers. Knowing the exact fat percentage in your body can help in setting realistic weight loss plans.
Is Weight Loss the Same as Body Fat Loss?
Weight loss and body fat reduction are two completely different concepts. Consider an instance of two individuals the same age – an athletically built person and a normal person. Due to the extra weight of muscles, the athletic person may weigh more than his counterpart. However, the second person’s weight may be related to a higher content of body fat. The normal person will be more vulnerable to weight-related issues than the athletic person. Therefore, it is important to lose body fat rather than trying to lose body weight. With new methods that measure body fat percentage, you can get an accurate report of your body fat and the amount you must lose or gain to remain fit and healthy.
When trying weight loss plans to lose body fat, it is best to adopt a plan that combines a healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and a minimum of processed carbohydrates with a good exercise regimen. You should keep the body fat levels to the ideal levels and enjoy more health and happiness in your life.
HealthStatus.com has free calculators to determine your body fat percentage. Click to see the body fat calculator, and ideal weight as well as many other easy to use interactive health tools.
Nov
01
Healthy Weight Loss Advice – Understanding Body Composition
Posted by: | CommentsIt doesn’t matter what you weigh. Height and weight charts are meaningless. What really matters is the composition of your body – how much of your body is muscle and how much is fat. An understanding of body composition is one of the ways you’ll escape the gravitational pull of the diet mentality. Body composition is a much more sophisticated way to see your body. Forget the scales and the height and weight charts. Concentrate on body composition.
Body composition testing measures how lean your body is. Remember, getting lean means to enhance your lean body mass – your muscles, your bones, your organs and the fluids of your body. Body composition is the only accurate way to measure how lean you are.
We have a real challenge in this country. We live in the fattest nation on earth. The average American male is 26% body fat. The average American female is 36% body fat. Let’s put that in perspective. If this average male with 26% body fat weighs 200 pounds, it means he’s carrying around 52 pounds of fat. Fat is dead weight. Every pound of fat adds 7 miles to your circulatory system. Your body stores your toxins in your fat cells. The more fat you have on your body, the more toxic your body is.
Example. A person who is 50 pounds over his or her ideal body weight has a risk of cancer that is 18 times higher than the average. According to cutting edge research performed at Tufts University Medical School, the best single indicator of whether you’re aging successfully is your body fat percentage. The leaner you are, the more successfully you age. You can’t be too lean.
According to exercise physiology research what should your body composition be? Men should be 15% body fat or less regardless of age. Women should be 22% body fat or less regardless of age.
Fifteen percent body fat for men and 22% body fat for women will put you into good to very good health. What if you want excellent health? What if you want to be as healthy as you could possibly be? For male athletes or men who want excellent health, the range is 6 to 12% – regardless of age. For women it’s 12 to 18%.
How do you measure body composition? There are various methods. Hydrostatic weighing is the gold standard of body composition testing. It’s the most accurate, but not very practical. Skin fold calipers are nearly as accurate, a lot more practical, and a lot more comfortable for you.
Fat is stored in 3 different areas of our body. Subcutaneously – which is between the skin and the muscle. Intramuscularly – which is within the muscle (otherwise known as marbeling in steak). And, between your organs.
To obtain your body composition, it will be necessary to measure the thickness of your skin fold in 7 different locations on your body using a skin fold caliper. It will very accurately measure the thickness of your skin fold in millimeters. These numbers will be entered into a very complex mathematical formula that has been developed by exercise physiology research.
What will you learn? You’ll learn your body fat percentage which is a relationship between the amount of fat you have compared with your lean body mass. You’ll learn how many pounds of your total body weight are fat. And how many pounds are lean body mass. And you’ll learn your true ideal body weight. How is that calculated? The computer will take your lean body mass (your fat free weight) and add to that the optimal amount of body fat 15% if you’re a guy. 22% if you’re a gal. Now you have your true ideal body weight based on your body and not some height and weight chart.
Remember, you won’t always lose weight every week. But this is where the measurements really help. If you don’t lose weight, but your measurements get smaller, you’ve gotten leaner. Research reported on ABC-TV NEWS showed that adding just 5 pounds of muscle and maintaining it for one year automatically burns 91,250 calories! And burning 91,000 calories translates to losing as much as 26 pounds!
Remember, if you gain one pound of muscle and lose one pound of fat, your weight hasn’t changed, but you’re leaner.
Nov
01
Body Composition Scale – Recommendations Regarding Body Fat Percentages
Posted by: | CommentsBody Composition Scale – Recommendations Regarding Body Fat Percentages
Recommendations Some body fat percentage levels are more culturally valued than others, and some are related to better health or improved athletic performance.
Actual levels of body fat are dependent on gender and age.
Different authorities have developed different recommendations for ideal body fat percentages, such as these from the The American Council on Exercise:
Body Composition Scale
Note The Values In The Body Composition Scale Chart
Note that the essential fat values in the chart above are lower than the recommended minimum body fat percentage levels.
A small amount of storage fat is required to be available as fuel for the body in time of need.
Ideal Category For Optimal Body Composition Health Unclear
It is unclear whether falling in a particular category of these body fat percentages is better for one’s health than any other, but there seem to be enhancements in athletic performance as one nears the ideal body fat percentage range for one’s particular sport.
The leanest athletes typically compete at levels of about 5–8% for men or 10–15% for women.
Bodybuilders will often compete at ranges even lower than these levels.
Certified personal trainers will suggest to male bodybuilders that they should aim for a body fat percentage between 2–4% by contest time.
How To Reach Optimal Body Composition Scale
Getting to this level usually requires a carefully planned and implemented exercise program, specific and carefully monitored variations in fluid consumption, energy intake and macronutrient ratios, sodium and potassium, and sometimes also use of ointments and alcohol.
Nov
01
Body Composition Scale Blog!
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Body Composition Scale.
Welcome to BodyCompositionScale.net! Valhalla Scientific is the technology leader in professional Body Composition Scales. Our Body Composition Analyzer Scales or Body Fat Scales constitute a set of digital scales which are scientifically proven to be the equivalent of hydrostatic weighing scales for the accurate determination of Lean Body Mass, Body Mass Index or Fat Free Mass while providing Percent Body Fat Measurements using scientifically proven bio-impedance technology or bio-resistance technology.
A person’s total body fat percentage is the total weight of the person’s fat divided by the person’s weight. The resulting number reflects both essential fat and storage fat.
- Essential fat is that amount of fat necessary for maintenance of life and reproductive functions. The percentage for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Essential fat is 2–5% in men, and 10–13% in women.
- Storage fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The minimum recommended total body fat percentage exceeds the essential fat percentage value reported above. A number of online tools are available for calculating estimated body fat percentage.
Arguably, body fat percentage is the superior gauge of an individual’s fitness level, as it is the only body measurement which directly calculates the particular individual’s body composition without regard to the individual’s height or weight. The widely-used body mass index (BMI), on the other hand, simply makes blanket assumptions as to what every individual of a certain height should ideally weigh, regardless of the body composition which makes up that weight. The BMI gives particularly inaccurate information with regard to individuals with above-average lean muscle mass, classifying such individuals as “overweight” or “obese” despite the fact that their body fat percentage would indicate they are in excellent physical condition.
Nov
01
Body Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques Part 5 (Types Of Anthropometric Measurement)
Skinfold methods
The skinfold estimation methods are based on a skinfold test, whereby a pinch of skin is precisely measured by calipers at several standardized points on the body to determine the subcutaneous fat layer thickness. These measurements are converted to an estimated body fat percentage by an equation. Some formulas require as few as three measurements, others as many as seven.
The accuracy of these estimates is more dependent on a person’s unique body fat distribution than on the number of sites measured. As well, it is of utmost importance to test in a precise location with a fixed pressure. Although it may not give an accurate reading of real body fat percentage, it is a reliable measure of body composition change over a period of time, provided the test is carried out by the same person with the same technique.
Skinfold-based body fat estimation is sensitive to the type of caliper used, and technique. This method also only measures one type of fat: subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat under the skin). Two individuals might have nearly identical measurements at all of the skin fold sites, yet differ greatly in their body fat levels due to differences in other body fat deposits such as visceral adipose tissue: fat in the abdominal cavity.
Some models partially address this problem by including age as a variable in the statistics and the resulting formula. Older individuals are found to have a lower body density for the same skinfold measurements, which is assumed to signify a higher body fat percentage. However, older, highly athletic individuals might not fit this assumption, causing the formulas to underestimate their body density.
Height and circumference methods
There also exist formulas for estimating body fat percentage from an individual’s weight and girth measurements. For example, the U.S. Navy Circumference method compares abdomen or waist and hips measurements to neck measurement and height and other sites claim to estimate one’s body fat percentage by a conversion from the body mass index. In the Navy the method is known as the “rope and choke.”
The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army also rely on the Height and Circumference method. For males, they measure the neck and waist just above the navel. Females are measured around the hips, waist, and neck. These measurements are compared to a height/weight chart with age factored in as well. This method is used because it is a cheap and convenient way to implement a body fat test throughout the entire Department of Defense.
Due to different body compositions, those with larger necks may artificially generate lower body fat percentage calculations than those with smaller necks.
