Categories >> Body Measurements >> Body Fat
Methods for Measuring Body Fat [1]
There are several methods available to measure body fat percentage, each with varying degrees of accuracy and accessibility. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28]
1. Hydrostatic Weighing (Gold Standard) [15, 21]
• Submerges the body in water and measures the displacement. [15]
• Considered the most accurate method, but requires specialized equipment and trained personnel. [29, 30, 31]
2. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) [13]
• Sends a small electrical current through the body and measures resistance. [32, 33, 34]
• Fat tissue resists electricity more than lean tissue, allowing for estimation of body fat. [35]
• Can be done with a BIA scale or handheld device, but accuracy can vary depending on factors like hydration and muscle mass. [36, 37, 38]
3. Calipers [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28]
• Uses calipers to measure the thickness of skin folds at specific sites on the body. [3, 4]
• Formulas are then used to estimate body fat percentage based on these measurements. [3, 39]
• Requires training and can be subjective, but relatively inexpensive and accessible. [40, 41, 42]
4. Body Fat Scales [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28]
• Similar to BIA, but often less accurate. [43, 44, 45]
• May use a combination of BIA and other factors to estimate body fat. [46, 47]
5. Circumference Measurements [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28]
• Measures the circumference of various body parts, such as the waist, hips, and neck. [48, 49, 50]
• Formulas are used to estimate body fat percentage based on these measurements. [51]
• Can be a quick and easy method, but accuracy is limited. [52, 53, 54]
6. Dexa (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28]
• Uses X-rays to differentiate between bone, muscle, and fat tissue. [7, 9, 14, 17, 18, 25, 26]
• Provides a very accurate measurement of body fat percentage, but requires specialized equipment and trained personnel. [55, 56, 57]
Choosing the Right Method [58]
The best method for measuring body fat depends on factors such as accuracy, accessibility, and personal preferences. [59, 60, 61]
• For the most accurate measurement, hydrostatic weighing is the gold standard.
• For a convenient and affordable option, BIA scales [21]
[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-measure-body-fat
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-measure-body-fat
[3] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-measure-body-fat
[4] https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/weight/best-way-to-measure-body-fat
[5] https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-weight/measuring-fat/
[6] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326331
[7] https://obesitymedicine.org/blog/what-is-the-gold-standard-for-determining-body-fat/
[8] https://www.healthline.com/health/body-fat-scale-accuracy
[9] https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/weight/measure-body-fat
[10] https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2022/apr/are-body-composition-scales-accurate/
[11] https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/risk.htm
[12] https://health.ucdavis.edu/sports-medicine/resources/dxa-info
[13] https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-use-body-fat-percentage-calculator-3858855
[14] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioelectrical_impedance_analysis
[15] https://www.verywellhealth.com/body-composition-5509458
[16] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/body-fat-scale-accuracy
[17] https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-body-composition-3495614
[18] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445161/
[19] https://dexaplus.com/the-most-accurate-method-of-measuring-body-fat-visceral-fat/
[20] https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/how-to-measure-body-fat-percentage
[21] https://dailyburn.com/life/health/how-to-measure-body-fat-percentage/
[22] https://performancenutritionlab.ca.uky.edu/bodpod
[23] https://www.verywellfit.com/calculate-body-fat-by-measuring-skinfolds-3120273
[24] https://www.verywellhealth.com/body-fat-percentage-chart-8550202
[25] https://www.medicinenet.com/most_accurate_test_to_measure_body_fat/article.htm
[26] https://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Body-Fat-With-a-Tape-Measure
[27] https://www.trifectanutrition.com/blog/what-is-body-composition-and-how-to-measure-it
[28] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/bod-pod/img-20008079
[29] https://www.nasm.org/resources/body-fat-calculator
[30] https://thebodywork-clinic.co.uk/how-do-body-fat-scales-work-and-are-they-accurate/
[31] https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/weight-control-and-obesity/body-fat-percentage
[32] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioelectrical_impedance_analysis
[33] https://salter.com/blog/understanding-body-composition-/
[34] https://www.onlymyhealth.com/best-ways-to-measure-body-fat-percentage-1717671465
[35] https://www.compositionid.com/blog/dexa/the-science-behind-body-fat-percentage-what-it-means-and-how-to-measure-it/
[36] https://ro.co/weight-loss/how-much-body-fat/
[37] https://breastandbody.co.uk/blog/how-to-calculate-body-fat-percentage/
[38] https://www.informedhealth.org/what-does-your-body-mass-index-say-about-your-health.html
[39] https://obesitymedicine.org/blog/what-is-the-gold-standard-for-determining-body-fat/
[40] https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/weight-control-and-obesity/body-fat-percentage
[41] https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/how-cyclists-measure-weight-loss/
[42] https://www.marsden-weighing.co.uk/blog/body-fat-healthy-ranges
[43] https://www.verywellfit.com/bioelectrical-impedance-analysis-bia-3495551
[44] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4610453/
[45] https://www.myprotein.co.in/blog/nutrition/what-is-the-difference-between-losing-fat-and-losing-weight/
[46] https://ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.17.19127
[47] https://www.archon.com.hk/qa/
[48] https://www.measurement-toolkit.org/anthropometry/objective-methods/simple-measures-circumference
[49] https://www.onlymyhealth.com/best-ways-to-measure-body-fat-percentage-1717671465
[50] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263224123007777
[51] https://www.tribelocus.com/calculators/4/
[52] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-measure-body-fat
[53] https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/246928/PMC6769337.pdf
[54] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-71219-2_2
[55] https://www.nasm.org/resources/body-fat-calculator
[56] https://www.radconlr.com/body-fat-test
[57] https://gorontalo.imigrasi.go.id/index.jsp/fulldisplay/bmi2295/FigureOutMyBodyFatPercentage.pdf
[58] https://www.phd.com/perform-smart/how-to-burn-fat-reduce-body-fat-fast/
[59] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-measure-body-fat
[60] https://www.livescience.com/how-body-fat-is-calculated
[61] https://gorontalo.imigrasi.go.id/Download_PDFS/virtual-library/bmi2294/HowToFindMyBodyFat.pdf