Interesting piece on the inaccuracy of body fat measures

nxd10

Completely different answers with completely different tests - even bod pods and body scans:

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/05/the_skinny_on_body_fat_testing.html

Body fat testing is not an exact science: Stretching Out
Published: Monday, May 28, 2012, 2:00 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 06, 2012, 7:53 AM
By Zachary Lewis, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- How fat am I? I have no idea.
Correction. I have lots of ideas. Just no straight answers.

After undergoing a barrage of tests to see how much of my body is fat, all I've learned is that I'm basically OK and shouldn't put too much stock in tests.

What began as a simple effort to figure out my physique morphed into a fascinating but ultimately failed quest for truth, one featuring tremendous variability and a frustratingly short supply of facts. Over the course of my mission, I received figures as far apart as 10 percent and was tagged as everything from "under-fat" to "acceptable."
I did reach two solid conclusions, however. One: there's a lot of shoddy data out there, data being used to make diet and exercise plans. Two: given the wide variety in standards and labels, a lot of people must have inaccurate images of themselves.

The whole thing started two months ago, when The Plain Dealer's health insurer stopped by to conduct biometric screenings of every employee. Along with body fat percentage, agents measured weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.
Everything in my report came back rosy, except for one figure: body fat percentage. (Not to be confused with Body Mass Index, or BMI, a straightforward ratio of height to weight.) At 16.8 percent, I was squarely "acceptable," five points shy of what this insurer considered "fit."

Wait a minute, I thought. I run, cycle and swim anywhere from 100 to 200 miles a week, in addition to activities for "Stretching Out." If that's not enough to make me "fit," then something's wrong, and all those who exercise at more moderate levels are doomed to body-fat mediocrity. What's more, at 6'6" and 185 lbs., I'm already about as skinny as I should or want to be.

It goes on . . . See the article

JohnMessmer

Interesting article, true with so many aspects of getting/maintaining a healthy and fit body.