Gauging weight used to be pretty straightforward: When people wanted to check it, they just jumped on the bathroom scale. These days, “body composition” is the buzzword. Body-fat percentages and body-mass indexes are the latest ways to track pounds and fitness, and in some cases, even to predict certain health risks.
Most people can’t resist quantifying their weight and fitness levels. People want to know what’s normal and whether they’re above or below average on the spectrum. We’re fascinated by numbers, whether we’re comparing cholesterol numbers or counting fat grams or calories.
Experts say there is a health value in knowing these things. How much body fat you carry, for instance, can signal problems down the road. Excess abdominal fat, in particular, is considered a risk factor for heart disease and other problems. Plus, muscle or lean weight burns more calories than fat — even at rest.
“The thing that’s most accessible is the scale,” said Teresa Smith, a registered and licensed dietitian and director of community education for Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Ky. “But when you look at your weight, it doesn’t tell you your body composition.”
Procedures for body-fat testing, such as bioelectrical impedance, near infrared interactance and hydrostatic weighing, can help people sort their muscular weight from that of fat, but none of them is foolproof. It all goes well beyond the traditional height and weight charts.
“Every one of these methods has pros and cons,” Smith said. “And you can find people for and against each one.” No type of body-fat analysis is 100 percent accurate, and subsequent tests should be done in the same method, by the same technician.
“You want to be comparing apples to apples,” said Kevin Balcirak, an exercise physiologist and owner of Lexington’s 21st Century Rehabilitation and Body Structure personal-training center, which uses skin-fold testing to gauge body-fat percentage on its clients.
Technician experience is also crucial: Balcirak said experts estimate that it takes about 1,500 experiences with the skin-fold calipers to be considered proficient at doing the analysis.
Experts say the occasional body-fat analysis can help evaluate and track your fitness and weight-loss progress. And the tests can be motivational. About three or four times a year is optimal.
“It’s really a shot in the arm,” said Darlene Baker, 51, a Lexington, Ky., Realtor who began working with Kathy Nalley of VDK Turning Point in March. She’s pared her body fat from 20.8 percent to 16.8 percent; her body fat was checked several times every few months since she began. Her weight has only dropped two pounds, but she’s gained muscle and reduced flab. “The tape measure and the scale are not my main motivation,” she said.
For those who want to find inspiration by the numbers, there are numerous methods to help keep track:
– The waistline. Officially, it’s called waist circumference: measuring your waist with a tape measure. “From a practical standpoint, it’s still the best way,” said Dr. Raymond Reynolds, an obesity expert and associate director of the University of Kentucky Health Management Resources weight-loss program.
Benefits: It’s free, accessible and quick.
What it tells you: A waist measurement over 34 inches for a woman or 40 inches for a man means an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other weight-related health problems, Reynolds said. This doesn’t vary by height.
– Body mass index, or BMI. All the fuss in 1998 about the new national guidelines for what is considered overweight or obese centered on this measurement, which is a unisex guideline that factors height and weight. Under the guidelines, a BMI of 30 means you’re obese; 25 to 29.9 means you’re overweight. (For a 5-foot-4-inch person, 145 pounds is overweight; at 174 the person is classified as obese.) Benefits: It’s cheap, easy to do and quick.
Drawbacks: BMI alone doesn’t give the complete picture. Balcirak, for instance, at 5-foot-7 and 190 pounds, ranks as a 30 on the BMI — not just overweight, but obese. But Balcirak is extremely lean and muscular — with just 10 percent body fat. The BMI looks at total weight and can’t differentiate between people who are heavy because of dense muscle and those who are heavy from excess fat.
What it tells you: BMI from 20 to 24.9 is considered a healthy zone; a BMI of 27 or more increases risk of weight-related health problems.
– Skin-fold body fat analysis: A caliper is used to pinch and measure the percentage of fat just under the skin’s surface on up to seven sites on the body.
Benefits: Local trainers, health and fitness centers offer this, so it’s easy to find, and it’s inexpensive. VDK Turning Point in Lexington, Ky., for instance, offers the analysis and basic fitness and food guidelines for $20.
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Drawbacks: Readings can be inaccurate if the technician isn’t well trained and if the person being tested has more than 30 percent body fat, said VDK co-owner Nalley.
What it tells you: Optimum body fat is about 12 percent to 18 percent for men and 18 percent to 22 percent for women; those numbers are adjusted up a bit as people age. Extremely athletic men — marathon runners, for instance — may go as low as 6 percent body fat. When women go below 10 percent body fat, normal functions, such as menstruation, are affected.
– Near infrared interactance and bioelectrical impedance. In the near infrared test, a bright light shines through the biceps, testing the density of the flesh within. “Muscle is dense, and fat is not,” Smith said. She uses the near infrared method for testing body fat in Central Baptist employee wellness programs, health fairs and the like.