Body fat testing

Yisrael1981

Hi , I just bought the omron body fat tester and I am looking to hear from people if you do body fat testing at all and if yes what method/device did you use? Did you find it to be accurate?

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Not familiar with Omron, but if it uses bioelectrical impedance to measure, then I'm sorry to say that it won't be very accurate. It might be ok to watch a downward trend in your bf%, but they can be up to 20% inaccurate.

The most accurate methods of testing are BodPods, water displacement tests, and DEXA scans, in order of least to most accurate. They are not cheap, though.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Calipers can also be fairly accurate, if the measurements are taken by someone trained and with lots of experience.

Cherimoose

Yisrael1981 wrote: »

I am looking to hear from people if you do body fat testing at all and if yes what method/device did you use?

I use a mirror.

Omron's handheld unit is actually pretty good. Not 100% accurate, but it's pretty close to calipers most of the time. Just realize that hydration can affect the results.

sijomial

Which Omron?
I used their BF508 model with feet and hand sensors and although it had the expected fairly dramatic fluctuations (hydration and food quantity related mostly) the trend over time and numbers were pretty good and compared well to BodPod scans.

When it died I didn't bother replacing it as the mirror tells me what I need to know.

fbinsc

With the BIA type units you get a pretty good read so long as you take the reading at the same time of day. Like first thing in the morning after you go to the bathroom...that will help standardize your reading. You will notice the bf% will vary significantly over the course of the day. I use a Fitbit Auria scale and it's pretty good. People will recommend DEXA and water displacement but really who pays money for that? Does the number matter or do you want to know you are improving? Even if you pay money for an rxpensive test your number is only as good as what you compare to and the mirror is really the reality check.

editorgrrl

Yisrael1981 wrote: »

Hi , I just bought the omron body fat tester and I am looking to hear from people if you do body fat testing at all and if yes what method/device did you use? Did you find it to be accurate?

I have a Fitbit Aria wi-fi scale, and the body fat percentage is rubbish. It works by sending a pulse up one leg and down the other, then guesstimating your upper body. But I love never having to log my weight—it syncs automatically with Fitbit, MFP, and Trendweight.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/body-fat-analyzers/faq-20057944

Although the technology is improving, it's difficult to get an accurate body fat measurement from most commercially available body fat analyzers.

Various types of body fat analyzers—also called impedance meters—are available to the general public. Results from portable body fat analyzers can vary depending on many factors, however, including the quality of the device and how hydrated you are when the measurement is taken.

If you're concerned about your body fat percentage, skip the commercially available body fat analyzers and ask your doctor about the use of more accurate measurement techniques.

colors_fade

I think the key to any of these BF measurement devices, given how inaccurate they can be, is not to use them to get an absolute number, but to use it over time as a gauge for progress.

I just had my BF done using calipers a couple weeks ago. I'm not so concerned with the number as I am seeing my BF go down after 12 weeks.

If you use a device in that manner, I think it's useful.

Upstate_Dunadan

My Gym just rented an InBody unit, so I jumped on that to get a full body analysis. Some quick research online about the units was all VERY positive and short of a water displacement test, was noted as one of the most accurate current methods. What's nice is it creates a profile for you, so next time you go back to get tested, you'll see comparison on the print-out to your last test.

With the InBody unit, my Body Fat came out at 14.8%. My EatSmart scale, right before I went to the gym to get tested, gave me a measure of 13.1%. When I tried using calipers for the first time a few weeks before, using a 3 point method, it came out at 8% (which I knew was wrong).

To me, this means my EatSmart scale is a good (approximate) measure of Body Fat that I can use for trending purposes. A couple times a year I'll plan to re-take the InBody test.

senecarr

I actually used the Omron last Saturday at a free health screening clinic in a store. It said I was 26% body fat at 5'8" and 202 lbs.
For comparison, I also had a DEXA scan procedure on Tuesday - very accurate, possibly the second most accurate way to measure body fat (the first being dissection, which means you don't get to learn the results personally). It accurately said I was 33.7% body fat.

So no, Omron BIA isn't very accurate.

sixxpoint

AllOutof_Bubblegum wrote: »

Calipers can also be fairly accurate, if the measurements are taken by someone trained and with lots of experience.

The most accurate test would be water displacement. Calipers are wildly innacurate and no one trained with proper experience would ever use them to gauge bodyfat %.

In fact, more accuracy would be had by posting a picture and having people with actual experience comment on a narrow bodyfat % range. There are also pictures in google images of bodyfat % for men and women.

Yisrael1981

sixxpoint wrote: »

In fact, more accuracy would be had by posting a picture and having people with actual experience comment on a narrow bodyfat % range. There are also pictures in google images of bodyfat % for men and women.

Actually that's what got me questioning as my omron handheld tells me I am about 11-13% however when I compare my body with images from one of these websites I look nothing like that range