How To Measure Your Body Fat Level

By: Andrew Smith

Body fat level is an important aspect of weight control. You
need to maintain low body fat levels to keep your body weight in
control. Excess body fat may lead to various diseases including
heart diseases. Hence it is necessary to carry out a Body
Comparison Analysis regularly.

One important reason to measure body fat is because it is
different to body weight. Losing body weight does not
necessarily mean that you have lost body fat because it measures
everything that constitutes the human body and not just the fat.
Someone who looks relatively trim may in fact have high levels
of body fat. So it is important to lose body fat as part of your
weight loss plan.

Body fat is measured in percentage terms using various
techniques. Some of the common techniques of measuring body fat
level include body fat scales, hydrodensitometry, and skinfold
calipers measurement. These have been explained below: Body fat
scales: In this method, a low current is passed through your
body. The resistance offered to the passage of this current
depends on your body fat level.

Hydrodensitometry weighing: Also known as underwater weighing or
hydrostatic weighing, this method measures your body fat level
by your body volume and body weight in water. Your weight is
first measured outside water and then you are immersed in a pool
of water. Your weight is measured under water. Your weight in
water depends on the amount of fat in your body. The more the
fat content of your body, the lesser your weight under water.
Your body volume is measured and a formula is used to measure
you body fat level.

Skinfold calipers: The skinfold calipers measurement is also
kown as Anthropometry. In this method, pressure is applied on
your skin and the underlying tissue using calipers. Measurements
are taken at various locations on the body and a mathematical
formula is used to find your body fat level.

There are also less scientific, but some would say plausible
way, to measure body fat. By seeing how your clothes fit every
week or two. If the clothes that normally fit perfectly are
slightly loose fitted after a week or two then it's a sign that
you have lost some weight and possibly body fat. However, this
is not an accurate measure of fat loss because it could be
weight loss.

About the author:
http://www.howtoall.com/Healthfiles/Healthfitnesshowtos.htmHow How to guides - Health & Fitness. Andrew Smith is the ownerof HowToAll, a site with information on how to do things. Visit the link to find more how-to guides on health & fitness relatedissues.