How to calculate your body fat percentage

Knowing our body fat percentage can help you determine your diet and exercise needs. The number gives you an idea of how much of your body is composed of fat, muscles, and tissue.

Range for men and women differ so if you are a woman these are the body fat ranges to aim for: 10 percent body fat is the absolute minimum; athletes tend to be in the 14 to 20 percent range. Fit people are at 21 to 24 percent. 25 to 31 percent is acceptable, and 32 percent and over is too much. If youare a man: 2 to 4 percent is essential, athletes are 6 to 13 percent, fit men are 14 to 17 percent, and 18 to 25 percent is considered acceptable. 26 percent or more is considered excessive.

You need to prepare for taking your measurements so don’t drink too much water or exercise 2 hours before taking measurements as this can skew the body fat percentage scores.

Now you have to locate the sites for skin-fold measurements. For men, the sites are diagonally on the chest, and vertically on the abdominals and thighs. For women, the sites are vertically on the triceps and thighs, and diagonally on the suprailiac, which is midway between the hip joint and the rib cage.

You have to sse a caliper to take skin-fold measurements. Pinch and pull a fold of skin using your index finger and thumb. Use the caliper to take a measurement one centimeter away. Wait a few seconds for the fat to compress. Take the measurements from your right side, and take two from each site. It is better to have a trained professional take skin-fold measurements to get the most accurate numbers.

Add your skin-fold measurements, and enter the sum into the body density equation to calculate your body density. For women, the equation is .0000023 times the sum squared, minus your age multiplied by .0001392, minus .0009929 multiplied by the sum, plus 1.0994921. For men, the numbers are .0000016, .0002574, .0008267, and 1.1093800.

Now you can determine your body fat percentage by dividing 495 by your body density and subtracting 450. To avoid number crunching, use an online calculator to determine your body density and fat percentage based on your skin-fold measurements.

If all this math seems a little too complicated to you, you can use a a bioelectrical impedance analysis using a fat-percentage scale instead. The scale sends a low-voltage electrical current through your body to measure your fat percentage. Electricity goes faster through fat-free mass like muscles.

Bear n mnd though that the error rate for these methods can be as high as 8 percent, but your body fat percentage range will give you a good idea of your body makeup and what goals you should aim for. Now you know your body-fat percentage you can now set more accurate goals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Mississippi had the highest obesity rate in 2009 at 34.4 percent.

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