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How to Measure Your Body Fat Without Skinfolds

As your body fat increases, so does your risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer or sleep apnea. Whether you are overweight or thin, it is important to periodically monitor your body fat percentage, much as you monitor your weight. Body fat can be calculated using a skinfold method -- which is one of the most accurate methods -- or through use of BMI, body mass index. BMI is calculated without skinfolds and provides a starting point for improving overall health.

Things You'll Need

  • Scale
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Calculator (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a scale on a hard, flat surface. Step on the scale wearing minimal clothing to determine your weight. Round your weight to the nearest pound. Body weight -- in pounds -- is a crucial component in the BMI formula.

    • 2

      Stand against the wall with your head level and heels close together. The back of your head, shoulders and buttocks should all touch the wall, forming a straight line. Mark the wall with a pencil at the crown of your head. Use a tape measure to find your height in inches. Measure from the mark on the wall to the floor.

    • 3

      Use a calculator to determine your height squared by multiplying the number of inches by itself. For example, if you are 60 inches tall, multiply 60 by 60 to get your height squared, 3,600. You can also do the multiplication by hand.

    • 4

      Divide your body weight by your height squared. Multiply this result by the conversion factor of 703. For example, if you are 130 pounds and 60 inches tall, you would divide 130 by 3,600 and multiply by 703 for a BMI of 25.39.

    • 5

      Interpret your results. According to the Centers for Disease Control, adults aged 20 and older use a standard set of categories for both men and women. A BMI lower than 18.5 is considered underweight. A BMI that ranges from 18.5 to 24.9 is normal. A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

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