body fat monitor

sourpower434

Hey guys, thanks for creating this group, I feel more comfortable posting a question here than on the general MFP forum.

I have a handheld body fat monitor that tells me I'm 24.0% fat.
My scale that also measures body fat tells me I'm 27.2% fat.

These are the latest numbers, the scale tends to fluctuate more than the handheld device for some reason...

So my question is...since the handheld really measures the top portion of my body, and the scale measures the lower part, can I just add the percentages and divide by 2 to get an accurate overall bodyfat percent? It would be 25.6%

FYI, I'm a 30 year old female, 118 lbs, 5'3"

Thanks :-)

SideSteel

Both are using bio-impedance and both are measuring your entire body and not just your upper or lower halves.

That being said, both are incredibly inaccurate. I wouldn't trust either measurement.

Please see here, and here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/830595-body-fat-estimation-methods
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/826435-bodyfat-estimation-thread

Sarauk2sf

Locking so we can keep track of active threads easier. Please feel free to PM either myself or SideSteel, and include a link to this thread. and we will unlock should you wish to add anything to it.