HOW TO ACCURATELY MEASURE BODY FAT

The scale isn't the only way to tell if you're overweight. Read how body fat is measured and what percentage of body fat compared to your total weight is considered too much.

Many people who are watching their weight — or trying to lose some pounds — turn to their bathroom scale. But that old familiar standby is not the only way to measure one’s size. Another possibility to consider is your body fat percentage.

Body Fat: What Are the Dangers?

When most of us hear the words "body fat" they have immediate negative connotations. However, in the right proportion, fat is actually critical to our diet and health. In the not-so-distant past, the ability to store extra body fat allowed our ancestors to survive in times of famine, when food was hard to come by. Even today it’s essential to keep the body functioning, to preserve body heat, and to protect organs from trauma.

Problems arise when our bodies store too much fat. This can lead to a variety of health issues, including high cholesterol, hypertension, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. Especially dangerous is fat stored at the waist, creating what is often called an “apple-shaped” body, as opposed to fat on the hips and thighs, a “pear-shaped” body.

Normal body fat for men is around 8 to 15 percent of their total body weight and for women approximately 20 to 30 percent.

Body Fat: How Can It Be Measured?

There are a variety of ways to measure the amount of body fat a person is carrying but none as accurate as the Body Fitness Analysis. A standard height and weight chart cannot accurately determine if you are overweight and provides no information as to whether you are healthy, but body fat percentage, on the other hand, can. 

The popularity of Body Fitness Analysis (BFA) is growing as savvy consumers recognize its superiority in determining health risks and showing progress, where the scale and charts cannot. Total body composition is a much more sophisticated way to measure your body.

Although two people can share the same weight or body fat percentage, that does not mean they face the same health risks. Where body fat is located can place a    person at far greater risk for fat-related health conditions such as: cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes, all constituents that link obesity, aging, and chronic disease with subsequent morbidity and mortality. BFA is a fast and effective tool for risk stratification.

For the best option in terms of accuracy, convenience and personalized results, the BFA is best, currently considered the "Gold Standard" of Body Fitness  Analysis. Used by pro sports teams, celebrities, Olympic athletes, the TV show Biggest Loser, it is THE state-of-the-art motivational way to measure fitness, monitor and improve performance and progress, lose weight or get in shape.  To see a trend you should reassess your body fat every 6-8 weeks.

Call our office at 602-393-0661 today to schedule your Body Fitness Analysis.