Body fat percentage

I've been using various calculators online, but then I realized that they all give me different results. I checked out a book from the library and used the equation in it, and I got this crazy number, 6.78291324 etc etc. How do you calculate yours?

There are some scales with sensors that can calculate body fat percentage.  I have one we got from woot.com which you enter you age, sex, and height, and it calculates your weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and muscle percentage.  6.78 does not sound right because I don't think someone could sustain life with such a small amount.  I think average for women is between 20-30 percent.  Good luck figuring it out!

I use calipers. 

Not very expensive and give a fairly accurate reading.

I look at myself in the mirror naked and I think "Yep, still need to lose some fat"...and then I go run mountain trails! :)

Usually, only a really well-conditioned professional athlete would have a body fat % reading like that, as I understand it.  And a woman would not have that low of a reading.  So I think the figure is questionable.

Here is an interesting site with a detailed article about body fat %.

http://www.naturallyintense.net/blog/weight-l oss/body-fat-measurements-are-not-the-best-in dicators-of-health/

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I use a Tanita home scale to check my daily body fat  % (and, yes, I know the reading is very "unofficial").  I have twice had a health-wellness doctor check my daily body % (no, not using the submerged in water method).  It was slightly lower than my Tanita scale reading both times.

According to research which shows that history has remained the same for women as far as body fat percentages go,  the AVERAGE woman whom is within the healthy range of a BMI is generally about 21% body fat. That is usually applying to  women whom are weight proportionate to height.  This is to say AVG.....but to be better than avg, a womean can go to 12-15% BF and retain a defined look like Jill Michaels is, for example. Trying to use an online BF calculation isnt going to be very reliable. Scales that show body fat percentages are not always reliable  because sometimes the amount of fluids in your body can throw it off and they dont calculate muscle weight accurately or if at all. The best way is the immersion tests, second to that would be body caliphers. I use a myotape to track my progress and I use a digital calipher that the doc gave me.

blue_eyed_dragon:

Overall,  I agree with pretty much everything you stated.  I would suggest, however, that bioelectrical impedance analysis is more reliable than using callipers, but I can't prove it. I have had both done and the results were pretty similar, but the health-wellness doctor I use favors the BIA.   I have read quite a few articles about most types of body fat % testing.  From what I can gather, is that none of the methods is completely accurate, including the hydro method.

i've gone to probably about 10 different body fat % websites and used their calculators that're based on height/weight/measurements. they all give me the same body fat % of 16-17% though. i guess that seems about right, i'd give it a 2% more or less variance. the only real accurate way to measure body fat is to go in a dunk tank though, thats the only 100% accurate way.

The only 100% accurate way to determine body fat percentage is to be dead and have an autopsy done on you. The results from all the other methods have a degree of error to them.

I pretty much agree with what everyone else has said. The only real accurate one is the water submersion. However, if you just want to track progress then it doesn't matter which measurement you use. Also, I would imagine the calipers and the bioelectrical impedence analysis are fairly accurate as well. I have had my BF% tested three different ways: calipers, bioelectrical impedence analysis, and online measurements. They've all been within two percentage points of each other...between 17% and 19%.