How to calculate body fat?

It is crucial for everyone to know the amount of accumulated fat in their body. knowing the body fat percentage won’t only help to prevent obesity-related diseases but also to achieve our fitness goals. Many of you won’t know about regulating the fatty acids in the body and often wonder how to calculate body fat percentage.  Therefore, in this post, I have provided all the details that you must know about body fat along with 3 effective ways to calculate it. Let’s first understand the concept of body fat.

Body Fat 

When we consume more calories than our body requirement, it results in the deposition of extra calories in a form of fat that further serves the function of energy reservoir, insulation, and protection. However, body fat is often confused with bodyweight. Therefore, you need to understand that fat is just the layer of fatty acids that is futile for our body and only leads to health problems whereas, the thing that matters is muscle mass.  Both the bodybuilder and an obese person can have the same body weight but there is a significant difference between their health status.  If you want to opt for a healthy lifestyle, then calculate your body fat by either of the following methods but remember their accuracies may vary. 

3 Ways to Calculate Body Fat

Measure Body Parts by Measuring Tape

Females: Measure the circumference of the widest part of your hips and waist and add them, then measure the circumference of the neck and subtract it from the sum of the hips and waist value.  Males: Measure the circumference of the thickest part of your abdomen and subtract it from the circumference of your neck.  The final value will be the estimated fat. You may also use US Navy Body Fat Calculator.

Measure by Bathroom Scale

Some weight scales also have the function to measure body fat as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). It passes a wave of current through your leg and measures the resistance it face and the resistance directly corresponds to the fat deposits. Remember to enter your body weight, height, age, and gender so the scale could use the formula to measure your exact body fat.

CT Scans or MRI

Last but not the least, both computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best way to get to know the accurate amount of fatty acids in your body. You can get the scanning through any medical facility. 

What if Calculated Fat is High?

If your body fat is higher then try out some effective exercises in combination with a healthy diet to cut down extra layers of fat. It will also make you fit and helps to get back in shape within a month.