Since this is a rather complicated formula, it can be much easier to plug your measurements into a body fat calculator instead.īody mass index, or BMI, is widely used to estimate body fat based on height and weight.īMI = weight / height² Imperial Units However, the differences were not statistically significant, illustrating that these are both fairly reliable ways to estimate body fat percentage. These numbers can then be used in the following equation:īody fat = – + 36.76īody fat = – – 78.387Ī recent 2019 study found that this formula had slightly higher values for both muscle mass and body fat ratio in both genders and across all BMI categories when compared to bioelectrical impedance. The measuring tape should be placed around the hips so that it passes over the greatest protrusion of the hips as viewed from the side. This is midway between your bottom rib and top of the hip bone, right around the navel.įor neck circumference, measure right above the Adam’s apple.įor women, hip circumference is also used. To measure waist circumference, wrap the tape measure around the narrowest part of your waist. This is still more accurate than many bioelectrical impedance methods. While it is not as accurate as direct measurements such as a DXA scan, studies have shown the error rate to still be relatively low, around 2.5-5%. The benefit of this method is that it only requires a tape measure, so it is cheap and quick to do from home. This can then be used in a formula to determine your body fat percentage. Navy/ Army body fat formula only requires you to measure your waist and neck circumference. There are several easy methods for measuring body fat pretty accurately at home.
Each comes with its own benefits and drawbacks. There are several different methods used to determine body fat. This makes maintaining a healthy body fat percentage extremely important.
Īnother study from European Heart Journal found that individuals with high amounts of body fat but normal weight, as reported by BMI, still had a high prevalence of cardiometabolic dysregulation, metabolic syndrome, and CV risk factors. Higher levels of body fat also have a stronger association with cardiovascular disease risk and mortality when compared to BMI. Research has found that body fat percentage is a better indicator of obesity-related health conditions such as coronary heart disease risk than waist circumference. Determining your total body composition takes into account your lean muscle mass, body fat percentage, bone mass, and water weight. This includes direct measurement in a medical setting as well as measurements that can be done at home.įirst, it is important to understand what body fat percentage means. There are a number of ways to determine body fat. An athlete that weighs 180 pounds with 20% body fat and a high amount of lean muscle is much healthier than someone who weighs 180 pounds but is sedentary and has 40% body fat. This makes sense from a practical standpoint. In fact, studies have found that individuals with a normal BMI but a high body fat percentage are at an increased risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. This is because body fat, not just body weight, is associated with chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and even some cancers. However, your percentage of body fat is just as much, if not more important, than body weight alone. Health and body weight are closely tied together.
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