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Do-It! Help: Inside Do-It!
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| Body Fat Formulas
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There are a number of different methods of measuring body fat. Some of the most
common are:
Immersion in a water tank:
The most accurate is the immersion in a water tank. Since scientists know how
much bones, skin, and muscles weight, they can use your weight versus the
amount of water displaced to determine your total body mass, and then your body
fat percent. This is not something you can do at home while in front of your
computer.
Electrical resistance:
Electrical resistance is another common method. If you see those scales that
have metal sensors on them that measure your body fat, this is how it is done.
It works because your body has a different electrical resistance, depending on
the ration of fat, to other tissues in your body. But, not everyone has one of
these scales.
Height and Weight charts:
These are probably the simplest and easiest to use. They just compare your
height and weight and give you a percent fat. This method does not, however,
take into account different people's builds: some people are big boned and
muscular, and this method will give them a fat percent that is too high.
Body Measurements:
(This is the method that Do-It! uses) Although not as accurate as immersion in
a water tank, it is something you can do at home. It is an approach similar to
height and weight charts, but is does take into account the different builds
that people have.
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| Body Fat calculated by Do-It! |
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We use the YMCA formula from the YMCA guide to Physical Fitness Assessment.
Here are the formulas we use:
Men's %Fat = (-98.42 + 4.15*waist - .082 * weight) / weight
Women's %Fat = (-76.76 + 4.15 * waist - .082 * weight) / weight.
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| How accurate is it? |
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The accuracy of this will vary from person to person, and is usually accurate
to within a few percentage points.
But if you know that you are not 'that fat', you are probably right! This
formula is an estimate only and cannot be accurate for every person.
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