BF % and height

RockGutCharlie

This may be a stupid question (a couple). The thing is, I've came across several studies indicating that being overweight can affect your height. Maybe I'm just paranoid but I'd swear a was an inch taller. I got 220 lb heavier in just a couple of years, so I guess stress on the spine or something like that could cause this. The other thing is, my scale has two modes, athlete and non athlete (I know I'm no athlete ), but I used to work out so..I don't know. One mode reads 34% the other one 43%, it's a huge difference. Now I'm working out every other day, I don't know if that's relevant.. Any wise words or experiences? Sorry for the long post and bad english (?)

usmcmp

That's a bioelectrical impedance scale. They are highly inaccurate and can be off as much at 10%. If you weighed then drank a bunch of water the reading for body fat would change dramatically.

They say as we age we shrink. I imagine that the compression of the spine and joins would cause us to lose inches over our lives.

TimothyFish

I've noticed that particularly rotund people have a tendency not to stand up straight. Perhaps this is because it is hard to lift their bellies.

Sued0nim

Pilates and yoga ...stretch up tall

tsikkz

Unless youre morbidly obese youre not 43%

nerdymathgrrl

I've lost an inch from my original adult height--I have degenerative disc disease, so I've lost some of the fluid from the discs, and my vertebrae are now closer together. It's actually really common in adults--even in your 20s or 30s (I was diagnosed at 30). Posture could also be an issue.

Agreed--those scales are inaccurate. Even if they were more accurate, the hand-held ones would only measure your upper body, and the scales you stand on would measure your lower body.

indianwin2001

Even though the scales are inaccurate,over time you can still see which way you are trending.If you lose 2% of body fat in 2 months according to the scale,you still lost 2% even if the overall # is inaccurate

RockGutCharlie

That's a bioelectrical impedance scale. They are highly inaccurate and can be off as much at 10%. If you weighed then drank a bunch of water the reading for body fat would change dramatically.

Agreed--those scales are inaccurate. Even if they were more accurate, the hand-held ones would only measure your upper body, and the scales you stand on would measure your lower body.

Indeed. I weight myself second thing in the morning. 10% margin of error should be unacceptable..

Even though the scales are inaccurate,over time you can still see which way you are trending.If you lose 2% of body fat in 2 months according to the scale,you still lost 2% even if the overall # is inaccurate

You're right, I can see the difference. The thing is, when I was 165-170 my BF % bounced around 12-16. I'm worried I'll reach my ideal weight being 30% fat. Besides, isn't the same having ahead of me 100 pounds of fat to go or having "only" 75.

Unless youre morbidly obese youre not 43%

Technically, if you take into consideration BMI, I'm in that club ..but I'm on my way out now

I've lost an inch from my original adult height--I have degenerative disc disease, so I've lost some of the fluid from the discs, and my vertebrae are now closer together. It's actually really common in adults--even in your 20s or 30s (I was diagnosed at 30).

I'm sorry to hear that.

They say as we age we shrink. I imagine that the compression of the spine and joins would cause us to lose inches over our lives.

I was just hoping wouldn't be so soon..

I've noticed that particularly rotund people have a tendency not to stand up straight. Perhaps this is because it is hard to lift their bellies.

Posture could also be an issue

When I decided to get back on track I noticed my posture was awful and working to fix that, but can bad posture make you shorter even when you stand straight?

Pilates and yoga ...stretch up tall

Before and after workout.. I suck at it though, but It's a matter of time...