A basic way to measure body fat percentage is by using a soft tape measure like the kind youd use for sewing to record measurements of different parts of the body. If you lower the value for the weight without changing the. Body fat percentage and dxa to caliper to conversion methodology. Navy body fat formula boy fat categorization advice on how to reduce body fat and information on precise methods for measuring the percentage of body fat. Body mass index bmi is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. Skinfold measurements have been used to estimate body fat for over 50 years skinfold calipers measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat the fat underneath the skin at certain body.
Use our bmi calculator to find out your bmi. This data means that if your body fat percentage is lower than 31 for women and 24 for men you are in the average range and you have nothing to worry about. Higher levels of body fat may be dangerous for you. The waist to height ratio to body fat percentage formula comes from relative fat mass rfm as a new estimator of whole body fat percentage a cross sectional study in american adult individuals orison o. The caliper and dxa conversion methodology can be found inside our body fat. Navy and requires four measurements.
Woolcott richard n. If an adult female has a 27 inch waist and 36 inch hips her whr is 27 divided by 36 giving her a whr of 075. Although not as accurate as using skinfold measurements or electrical impedance measuring waist neck and for women hip circumferences provides an inexpensive alternative. The waist measurement is divided by the hip measurement. The chart below shows the average body fat percentages of americans from samples between 19992004. Height neck waist and hip circumference.
The body fat calculation is based both on weight and waist size and is exquisitely sensitive to the value for waist. The percentage body fat is calculated for males as 100 9842 415waist 0082weightweight and for females as 100 7676 415waist 0082weightweight. An easy and consistent way to measure body fat uses a tape measure and a scale. How to calculate body fat using waist measurement weight. For men measure the circumference of the neck by placing a measuring tape directly on the skin just below the larynx also known as the adams apple and extend the tape horizontally all the way around the neck. Body fat testing using neck and waist measurements based on parameters established by the navy are different for men and women.
Measuring your waist is a good way to check youre not carrying too much fat around your stomach which can raise your risk of heart disease type 2 diabetes cancer and. This body fat percentage calculator uses the formula developed by the us. Body fat calculator estimate your body fat percentage and body fat mass.