Calculating body fat % from skinfold measurements

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mostein
mostein Posts: 200 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I had a physical assessment done today and had my skinfold measurements taken. The woman told me the assessment wouldn't give me a body fat % just a reading on the body composition scale. I would really like to get a generalized body fat %, does anyone know how I can calculate that from the measurements? I looked online but the calculators included thigh and chest measurements which I did not get. I got tricep, bicep, supscapular, iliac crest and medial calf.

Thaks!

Replies

  • jendavis07
    jendavis07 Posts: 66
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    I think the best way to get your body fat measured is to have them do it in water. We have a health assessment at work and they pinch us in certain places to measure our body fat. When I look at the results from the pinch and compare them to the BMI chart, I feel so much better. I hate going by the chart because it says i'm obese, when I know that I'm not. Sorry I don't have a good answer for you. Good luck!
  • deathstarclock
    deathstarclock Posts: 512 Member
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    Uh wow what the hell kind of assessment was that? I can give you your body fat percentage from a tricep, suprailiac, and thigh skinfold measurement... Give the numbers I'll tell you.

    Edit: **** me you're missing the thigh. WTF kind of skinfold assessment was that???
  • mostein
    mostein Posts: 200 Member
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    LO, it was a free physical assessment. The woman told me that the callipers give a more accurate assessment than the water. I wonder if she just forgot to do the thigh? My results say 'very good' but I want a number!
  • lucky723
    lucky723 Posts: 52
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    The most accurate way is a DEXA scan which is for bone density its pretty cool because it tells you how much fat not only as a whole but each arm, leg, your head, and mid section. Its pretty cool but yeah they should have done your chest which is pretty much where your bra strap is and then your thigh too.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    I think the best way to get your body fat measured is to have them do it in water.
    True. That method checks your mass against your volume. it is not perfect, but it is more accurate than measuring body parts. Measuring parts and the skin fold will give you something to go by.

    Regardless of the method, I think it is better to consider any measurements in sequence. If the measures are decreasing, so is your body fat.

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