‘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.

Body Composition Scale

It 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.

Body Fat Scale

Body 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.

Welcome 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.

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.

Body Composition Scale – Anthropometric methods

There exist various anthropometric methods for estimating body fat. The term anthropometric refers to measurements made of various parameters of the human body, such as circumferences of various body parts or thicknesses of skinfolds. An excellent explanation of these methods is available in a PDF from the Academy For Educational Development.

Anthropometric Body Composition Methods Basis

Most of these methods are based on a statistical model. Some measurements are selected, and are applied to a population sample. For each individual in the sample, the method’s measurements are recorded, and that individual’s body density is also recorded, being determined by, for instance, under-water weighing, in combination with a multi-compartment body density model. From this data, a formula relating the body measurements to density is developed.

Anthropometric Body Composition Scales Measure Body Density Not Fat Percentage

Because most anthropomorphic formulas such as the Durnin-Womersley skinfold method, the Jackson-Pollock skinfold method, and the US Navy circumference method, actually estimate body density, not body fat percentage, the body fat percentage is obtained by applying a second formula, such as the Siri or Brozek described in the above section on density. Consequently, the body fat percentage calculated from skin folds or other anthropometric methods carries the cumulative error from the application of two separate statistical models.

These methods are therefore inferior to a direct measurement of body density and the application of just one formula to estimate body fat percentage. One way to regard these methods is that they trade accuracy for convenience, since it is much more convenient to take a few body measurements than to submerge individuals in water tanks.

Sampling Issues Affect Accuracy of Anthropometric Body Fat Percentage Measurements

The chief problem with all statistically derived formulas is that in order to be widely applicable, they must be based on a broad sample of individuals. Yet, that breadth makes them inherently inaccurate. The ideal statistical estimation method for an individual is based on a sample of similar individuals.

For instance, a skinfold based body density formula developed from a sample of male collegiate rowers is likely to be much more accurate for estimating the body density of a male collegiate rower than a method developed using a sample of the general population, because the sample is narrowed down by age, sex, physical fitness level, type of sport, and lifestyle factors. On the other hand, such a formula is unsuitable for general use.

Body Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques Part 3 (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis)

This is the third article in our series on body composition scales and measurement techniques. In Part 1 we introduced the concept of body composition measurement and early methods of estimating body fat percentages relative to total body weight. In part 2 we explored pre DXA average body density measurement. In this article, we will explore bioelectrical impedance analysis, commonly referred to as BIA.

Bioelectrical impedance scales for body composition analysis

The Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) method is a more affordable but less accurate way to estimate body fat percentage. The general principle behind BIA: two conductors are attached to a person’s body and a small electrical current is sent through the body. The resistance between the conductors will provide a measure of body fat, since the resistance to electricity varies between adipose, muscular and skeletal tissue.

Fat-free mass (muscles) is a good conductor as it contains a large amount of water (approximately 73%) and electrolytes, while fat is anhydrous and a poor conductor of electrical current. Factors that affect the accuracy and precision of this method include instrumentation, subject factors, technician skill, and the prediction equation formulated to estimate the Fat Free Mass.

Criticiams Of Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis Body Composition Scale Measurement Methodology

Criticism of this methodology is based on where the conductors are placed on the body; typically they are placed on the feet, with the current sent up one leg, across the abdomen and down the other leg. As technician error is minor, factors such as eating, drinking and exercising must be controlled since hydration level is an important source of error in determining the flow of the electrical current to estimate body fat.

As men and women store fat differently around the abdomen and thigh region, the results can be less accurate as a measure of total body fat percentage.

Variables Affecting Accuracy of BIA Body Composition Scale Readings

Another variable that can affect the amount of body fat this test measures is the amount of liquid an individual has consumed before the test. As electricity travels more easily through water, a person who has consumed a large amount of water before the test will measure as a lower body fat percentage. Less water will increase the percentage of body fat.

Also reducing the reliability of this method is the variation between models of the BIA devices: for instance when comparing outputs from a Tanita scale to an Omron Body Logic handheld device the Tanita scale overestimated the percentage body fat in college-aged men by 40% and in college aged women by 55%.

Availability of BIA Body Composition Measuring Devices

Bioelectrical impedance analysis is available in a laboratory, or for home use in the form of body fat scales and hand held body fat analyzers.

Body Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques Part 2

This is the second part of our series on body composition measurement techniques. As you may recall from the previous article, a person’s exact body fat percentage generally cannot be determined, but there are several techniques which can be used to estimate it accurately. In Part 1 of this series, we explored near-infrared interactance and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In this article, we will explore additional body composition scale and measurement techniques.

Body Composition Scales – Expansions

There are several more complicated procedures that more accurately determine body fat percentage. Some, referred to as multicompartment models, can include DXA measurement of bone, plus independent measures of body water (using the dilution principle with isotopically labeled water) and body volume (either by water displacement or air plethysmography). Various other components may be independently measured, such as total body potassium.

In-vivo neutron activation can quantify all the elements of the body and use mathematical relations among the measured elements in the different components of the body (fat, water, protein, etc.) to develop simultaneous equations to estimate total body composition, including body fat.

Pre DXA Body average density measurement

Prior to the adoption of DXA, the most accurate method of estimating body fat percentage was to measure that person’s average density (total mass divided by total volume) and apply a formula to convert that to body fat percentage.

Since fat tissue has a lower density than muscles and bones, it is possible to estimate the fat content.

This estimate is distorted by the fact that muscles and bones have different densities: for a person with a more-than-average amount of bone mass, the estimate will be too low. However, this method gives highly reproducible results for individual persons (± 1%), unlike the methods discussed below, which can have an uncertainty up to ±10%. The body fat percentage is commonly calculated from one of two formulas:

• Brozek formula: BF = (4.57/ρ − 4.142) × 100
• Siri formula is: BF = (4.95/ρ − 4.50) × 100

Body Composition Scale – Measurement Techniques

A person’s exact body fat percentage generally cannot be determined, but there are several techniques which can be used to estimate it accurately:

Near-Infrared Interactance Body Fat Measurement

A beam of infra-red light is transmitted into the biceps. The light is reflected from the underlying muscle and absorbed by the fat. The method is safe, noninvasive, rapid and easy to use.

Measuring Body Fat Using Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DXA (formerly DEXA), is a newer method for estimating body fat percentage, and is commonly cited as the current gold standard for body composition testing.

Two different types of X-ray scans the body, one that detects all tissues and another that doesn’t detect fat. A computer can subtract the second picture from the first one, giving only fat detection. The mass of this can be estimated by the grade of exposure.

Body Composition Scales – Expansions

There are several more complicated procedures that more accurately determine body fat percentage. Some, referred to as multicompartment models, can include DXA measurement of bone, plus independent measures of body water (using the dilution principle with isotopically labeled water) and body volume (either by water displacement or air plethysmography). Various other components may be independently measured, such as total body potassium.

In-vivo neutron activation can quantify all the elements of the body and use mathematical relations among the measured elements in the different components of the body (fat, water, protein, etc.) to develop simultaneous equations to estimate total body composition, including body fat.

Body Composition Scale – Recommendations Regarding Body Fat Percentages

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

Essential Body Composition Scale Body Fat Percentages

Note that the essential fat values in the chart shown 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 Body Fat Composition Still Unclear As Relating To Best Overall Health

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.

Body Composition and Body Fat Levels Vary By Gender and Other Factors

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 Fat Levels and Body Composition

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.