Best way to measure body fat?

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  • julialdr
    julialdr Posts: 100 Member
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    The doctor with the BodPod talked to me about the Dexa scan and she only suggests DEXA if you're also at an age or heath where you should have bone density tested as well. Since it emits radiation, having more than a couple isn't necessarily the best thing for you. She equated it to getting multiple X-rays...

    This isnt really that accurate. The radiation levels DEXA gives off are extremely low, that's why it isn't regulated in the same way xrays etc are. Some info for you.

    "One whole body scan gives a radiation dose of 0.2 uSv to the person being scanned. The average daily background radiation exposure dose is 6.3 uSv per day (in Australia). So, a DEXA whole body scan equates to an extra 2.5 hours of natural background radiation exposure. In comparison, a chest XR dose is 20 uSv, a lumbar spine XR dose is 700 uSv, and a CT chest is 8000 uSv."
  • iheartmy1dog
    iheartmy1dog Posts: 207
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    Awesome job.

    There was a guy on bb dot com (lose fat section) that lost a large amount of weight and had his BF measured by Bodpod, dexa, calipers, dunk tank, and visual estimates by the group. It is quite interesting to see the variation. It is a little different once you add in a bit of left over skin (got it too, no judging here).
    OMG, I didnt even notice you have lost 150lbs!

    insane effort, congrats

    Thank you!! :) I feel like I'm close to my goal... But I just can't pinpoint what it is lol that's why I'm trying to figure out my bf% :)
  • Brad805
    Brad805 Posts: 289 Member
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    I feel like I'm close to my goal...

    I know that feeling. I have actually dropped around 100lb (started a few months before finding MFP) and have some skin issues (cause I old, haha). Some days the mirror looks fine, and others all I see is the negative. In the thread I mentioned it was pretty clear that those estimating from the pictures relied heavily upon the mid line. That makes it tricky to get a good idea from pictures if you have any droopy skin. The test methods varied from 11% to 17% if I recall correctly. The guy was meticulous, so I did trust what he posted. It is difficult to decide when to stop the fat loss and admit that looking like the pictures just might not be in the cards. I face the same problem. I am convinced my friends and family think I am a little bonkers.
  • cwsikes
    cwsikes Posts: 86
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    I have no idea what mine really is. I guess it using my measurements and the online calculators. To do it that way comes out at 25%. To look at a picture chart, I look about 30-35%. I want to get it measured by a professional, but to be honest, I'm scared. Lol.

    This. I was scared to know my actual body fat. My husband and I have had bodpod done a few times and it is nice to have another metric to go by other than just weight but sometimes it can be not so nice to hear. Turns out I'm at the minimum appropriate weight range for my height but not at such a lovely body fat percentage (5'10", 135 lbs, 28% body fat). On the other hand, it gave my husband evidence that he has a acceptable body fat despite being heavier due to being very muscular (5'10", 185 lbs, 18% body fat) so it made him feel much better than just relying on the scale alone.
  • marci2lip
    marci2lip Posts: 23 Member
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    The doctor with the BodPod talked to me about the Dexa scan and she only suggests DEXA if you're also at an age or heath where you should have bone density tested as well. Since it emits radiation, having more than a couple isn't necessarily the best thing for you. She equated it to getting multiple X-rays...

    This isnt really that accurate. The radiation levels DEXA gives off are extremely low, that's why it isn't regulated in the same way xrays etc are. Some info for you.

    "One whole body scan gives a radiation dose of 0.2 uSv to the person being scanned. The average daily background radiation exposure dose is 6.3 uSv per day (in Australia). So, a DEXA whole body scan equates to an extra 2.5 hours of natural background radiation exposure. In comparison, a chest XR dose is 20 uSv, a lumbar spine XR dose is 700 uSv, and a CT chest is 8000 uSv."

    Thanks for posting this! I figured it woudl be MUCH higher than the figures you indicated. Seems pretty darn low. I wonder how it compares to an iPhone. Something tells me it would be potentially higher. :)

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