Testing your Body Fat

When exercising to get into shape and/or to lose weight it’s important to be able to track your body fat. Even if you’re losing weight, if you’re not losing body fat, your body may not be as healthy as you might think. It’s important to learn how much lean body mass your body contains in ratio to fat body mass. When you’re carrying around too much fat you can experience health problems and find it more difficult to lose weight.

The amount of body fat you should carry depends on a variety of factors including your gender and your levels of activity. Women who are not very athletic should plan on a minimum level of body fat between 10 and 12% Female athletes need a level of body fat at least 14% and can go as high as 20%. Body fat between 25% and 31% is considered to be healthy. Anything above 32% is too high.

Men need at least 2 to 4% body fat to be healthy. Male athletes should carry between 6 and 13% while the average guy can plan on up to 25% without obesity worries. Anything above 26%; however, is considered to obese for men.

There are a variety of different ways you can determine your own body fat level. One way to determine this is to use what is known as a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. This test is often called simply a DEXA. Under some circumstances your insurance may pay for the test, which must be performed in the office of a physician. The test only takes about fifteen minutes to perform. For the most part, this test is fairly reliable and does not cause any pain. If your insurance won’t pay for the test, plan to spend about $100.

Another way you can test how much body fat you happen to have is known as hydrostatic weighing. This test is much different than DEXA and involves sitting in a tank of water and then being dunked under. The test gauges your body fat on the basis that fat weighs less than water, allowing you to float. Be aware that the accuracy of this test depends on the amount of air that must expel. This test is much cheaper; however, and can be done for as little as $50.

If neither of these ideas appeal to you, you can always test your body fat using calipers. With this tool your skinfold can be pinched to determine your body fat. The test must be done on several areas of the body to get an overall reading. Be aware that the level of accuracy for this test usually depends on how skilled the tester is at conducting the test. Your age can also affect the test. If you belong to a health club, you may be able to have this test done free of charge.

 
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