How Much Fat Is Too Much? Here are Some Easy Methods to Measure
Are you wondering if your belly looks slightly bigger than last week? Are you sure?
But then, how will you know if you’ve gained extra fat? And how much is too much?
Not sure how much fat is too much fat?
Here are some methods that experts recommend to measure the amount of fat in your body and whether it falls within an acceptable range.
How Much Is Too Much?
Most people don’t know how much hidden belly fat they have because there is no accurate way to determine it with a machine or a scan.
Experts have said that there is actually no optimal waist size for good health; however, measuring your waist circumference could be one of the best vital sign.
It has also been found through various research findings that:
Men with a waist measurement of 40 inches and women with a waist larger than 35 inches are more prone to diseases such as heart attack, blood pressure, diabetes etc.
Ways of Measuring Belly Fat
Although there are no conclusive measures to determine belly fat, experts have suggested some techniques which could help you gain some perspective in this regard:
Here some simple measurement techniques that give you a close to accurate fat measurements.
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index is the simplest method. It can be calculated by a formula tallying your weight and height.
- BMI of 18 to 24 is considered normal
- BMI 25 to 29 is overweight
- BMI of 30 and above are obese
A simple BMI Monitor will instantly tell you the correct value. However, this method is not without flaws and could at times give misleading results. For instance, if you have a high percentage of muscle mass, your BMI levels look higher which is not an accurate reflection of your health condition.
Waist to Hip Ratio Test
This is a simple test of measuring belly fat by dividing the size of your waist at the smallest point to the size of your hips at the largest point.
- For a woman .8 or lower
For a man 1 or lower is a sign of better health
Body Tape Measure
The BMI Test and the Waist to hip ratio are the most reliable tests you will find than the others. So, it is recommended that you use these to measure to know how much fat you have. A skinfold caliper can also be used to track if you are putting on too much fat.
Other Tests
Apart from BMI and Waist to hip ratio, there are some other body fat tests you may find, such as:
- The Pinch Test
You will find many health clubs using the pinch tests for fat measurement. It involves the use of special calipers to measure the folds of skin and fat on several parts of the body and averages them out.
- The bioelectrical impedance Test
This test is designed to measure your body’s water content .Electrodes are attached to one arm and one leg and a radio frequency pulse goes through your body. However, you should be careful not to drink a lot of water or liquid or even exercise before the test.
- Immersion Test
In this test, you exhale releasing all the air from the lungs, and then they dunk you into a pool of water about 6 times. Although you may find this test to be a little unpleasant, it is one of the most accurate for measuring body fat.
- Bod Pod Test
The Bod Pod test can be found in large hospitals and clinics. All you have to do is step into a chamber and it will measure the displacement of air. This displacement can be converted into fat using your weight as the guideline. However, these techniques are not very reliable and most of them are even expensive.
Summary
It is a known fact that body and belly fat is a dangerous health hazard plaguing millions of people today. Hence, if you are accumulating excess fat in your body, it is very important to take heed to this problem immediately and act on it now! Ensure that you have a weighing scale in your bathroom so that every morning you can check your weight. You can start by first knowing how much fat you have, so that you can trace you are not putting too much fat. By using the simplest technique, such as measuring your waist with a tape or even opt for the various tests available you can practice proper weight management and get rid of the flab effectively.
Leave a Reply