Your weight is not the best indicator of your overall health. For example, you may be very muscular and weigh much more than the recommendation for your age and height, yet are in perfect health. Body fat measurement is a much better calibration of your general weight status. Your body mass index, or BMI, measures your weight in relation to your height to tell if you are obese.
Step 1
Weigh yourself on an accurate scale, then multiply the figure by 703. For example, if you weigh 160 lbs., your final top number in the equation would be 112,480.
Step 2
Multiply your height in inches by itself, or squared, to get the bottom number in the eventual equation that will give you a very close approximation of your BMI. In this case, if you are 5-feet, 4-inches tall, you would multiply 64 times 64 to get 4,096.
Step 3
Divide the top number by the bottom number to get your final body mass index, which is the percentage of your body that's made up of fat. The above example of a 160 lb. person who is 5 ft. 4 in. leads to a BMI of 27.46.
Step 4
Compare your numbers to general charts to discern your health risks. According to the Weight-control Information Network, a healthy body fat reading lies within 18.5 and 24.9. The example above leads to a diagnosis of overweight, which is defined as having a BMI of 25 to 29.9. Any percentage over 30 is considered obese.
Step 5
Use a commercial body fat scale. According to the Sports Fitness Advisor, most fat scales utilize a bioelectrical impedance analysis that sends an electrical impulse through your body. The scales then electronically calculate your body fat using an analysis of your body density. Some scales can take into account your gender and age, which ultimately can affect the calibrated results.
Tips and Warnings
- Few body fat percentage scales are entirely accurate. The most important thing is to keep taking your readings so you can measure your progress. While general population tables provide you with an estimate of your measurements in comparison to the public, your best monitor is to compare your readings to your own measurements after you begin a diet or exercise program.
- New technologies emerge regularly claiming to give you the most accurate body fat analysis. But for the most part, they are inaccurate and do not provide you with the best results, according to the Mayo Clinic. For the most accurate readings that also come with analysis of the results, you should talk to your doctor about using a medically approved technique, such as underwater weighing or dual energy absorptionmetry. The equipment is very expensive however and not available everywhere.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Calculator
- Commercial body fat scale
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