high body fat percent

i just found out today i have a very high bodyfat percentage

and i'm underweight at 16.1 bmi

um..... yeah..

so if i start eating with no exercise and gain weight, will my body fat % lower to a healthier lvl just b/c i weigh more?
or would i be even flabbier

i just feel so FAT right now :(

edit:::

i just want to gain without losing the rset of my athleticness :*(...

does anybody have any good ideas/ tips? given my status?..... for the best weight gain (while maintaining/gaining muscle) results? i dont want to lose anymore.

if i can gain with just staying totally sendentary and gain muscle at the same tiem b/c of new food protein and stuff, that would be great...... but it just doesnt sound right... ya no?

What is your body fat percentage? 

Do other members of your family have a high body fat percentage?

Yeah, some stats might be handy to help us understand.

oh wow... um....

okay, so the school shock thingy said i had....... 38 or 88% body fat percent....... i dont know if the machine was broken but a backwards 3 was in the 10s digits and a 8 was in the one for fat %

i did a measuring thing online JUST now.... and a website said i had 8% and another said 13%

which youguys think is most accurate?..... :/

i'm
5ft2
88lb
16yrs
andverysad

Those body fat scales don't really work.

which..... one.. the online one or the shocker one?

and.... should i gain really fast within a few months so i can get back to exercising sooner? and during that time, if i dont exercise but eat alot, will my fitness lvl stay the same, decrease, or get better (b/c i'm getting healthier)???

what hsould i dooo i'm stressing so much ;(

The "shocker" ones. 

so i'm actually too low of a body fat % according to the online ones (which are problby more accurate?)

even though i'm underweight?... i can have a lower body fat %%?? what happened to that skinny-fat rule??? that my muscles got ripped away when i ran too much + ate too little/

It's very difficult to get an accurate body fat reading from most of the devices that claim to measure it. You probably used a device that sends bioelectrical waves through your body to measure its density. The problem with those things is if you are underweight, you can get a wacky result. The online calculators are based on averages, so if you are underweight or just have a small frame, then you will get a weird result. The best way to get an accurate body fat measurement is to find someone who is certified in the use of body fat calipers.

One thing you also need to think about is that your body fat percentage is not the most important thing for you to be worrying about right now. Your first priority should be gaining the weight and making the changes you need.

Yep...it's 88%.  You're standing on a pile of hardened lard.  Your bones decided to leave your body and fat took its place. 

The answer is, you absolutely do not have a "high body fat %age".  At 16yo, 5'2" and 88# it is likely you are at high risk for malnutrition.

My suggestion to you would be to talk to your parents about seeing your doctor and asking for a referral to a Registered Dietitian. In order to take charge of your own body and gain weight in a healthy way it is important that you learn some basic healthy eating principles.

This website is a good place to talk to peers and to get general opinions but what you need is some real education. Try going to mypyramid.gov and read about nutrition in the mean time.

I agree with gddrdld; with a BMI of 16, you are at risk for malnutrition.  I HIGHLY doubt your body fat % is high.  Your ideal body weight, based on your height is 108-121# for a small frame, (or approximately 110#) which is only an estimate and varies based on genetics and body composition. 

I also recommend www.healthcastle.com for easy to understand, sound nutritional advice from Registered Dietitians.  A referral to a Dietitian would might be covered under your insurance since your BMI is so low, so I would talk to your MD. 

Original Post by fallingstars27:

Yep...it's 88%.  You're standing on a pile of hardened lard.  Your bones decided to leave your body and fat took its place. 

This made me snicker...

Seriously, it is impossible to have a BF% of 88. It's ridiculous to even think about. Where would your organs be? Your bones?

It doesn't matter what you're body fat % is, you need to gain weight. Find a dietician and let her decide what's best for you, because you need help...now.

Just to give you an idea...

you weigh 80 lbs.

At 88% bf, you would be 70.4 lbs pure fat.

The average human skeleton composes 13% of your body weight. That's 10.4 lbs.

Add in your brain (average 2 lbs) your heart (a little less than one, about the size of your fist) your stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, lungs, uterus, hair, eyeballs, teeth...

Oh yeah, and muscles, which weigh more than fat, and water weight... the list goes on and on.

I know sometimes my eating disorder wont listen to anything but scientific fact, so there you go.

when i did the online test it said i had a crazy about of body fat too. i have a bmi of 16.8-9, and although i have undoubtedly lost muscle thanks to ED, i have done sports and worked out all my life so i've always had a lot of muscle, i cant imagine my % really being as high as it said, it shocked me. i'd love to find out what it REALLY is.

You probably shouldn't worry about you boday fat percentage until you are at a healthy weight.  I know this will probably be dificult for you while recovering, but you should try.  You can't 'retain your atheleticism' because at 88lbs you aren't altheletic, you are underweight and malnurished.  You will gain fat, you will gain fat in places that you have no control over, but that is what needs to happen for you to get to a healthy weight.  You're only 16, you have LOTS of time to be active and get strong and atheletic, so put that on the back burner for the time being.

And of course you don't have 88% body fat, that's silly.