Where can I get my body fat accurately measured?

Question

Where can I get my body fat accurately measured? Do skin-fold fat calipers work? And if you say doctor/physician, how much will it cost?

Answer 1

Go to a local health club and ask for a physical, they might charge like 5 bucks maybe, or at least refer you to someone locally. The most accurate way to measure body fat is when they submerse you in this water tank, but that is only done at major university hospitals and places like that, very expensive to do it that way.

Answer 2

I don't think doctors do body fat measurements. However, you can get one in just about any gym, but you have to pay for it. They use calipers, which is a fairly accurate method, provided that it's done the same way each time (and that's where the problem lies).

There are other methods to measure your body fat:

- You can buy one of those body fat monitors. The one made by Omron is surprisingly accurate. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006WNPU/sr=8-1/qid=1156305751/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2938140-1312957?ie=UTF8

- You can use online calculator. They are accurate as long as your body fits the "average" build (i.e. not too skinny, not too muscular).

1. This one measures your body fat using 2 variables (waist and weight) http://www.goodhealthnyou.com/fitness/calculator.php3?id=9

2. This one measures your body fat using other variables, except weight: http://www.goodcontrol.org/content.asp?article_id=253

You can use them both and see if they're correlated, or take the average. They should be accurate within 1%.

Answer 3

If you live close to a University with a good Exercise Physiology laboratory, they may have an underwater weighing mechanism. This is the gold-standard for body fat analysis unless you go for a very expensive body scan (Dual X-ray Body Absorptiometry). Calipers can work but only Harpendon calipers are typically accurate enough for research.

Answer 4

Try a gym, like Bally's, or a nutritionist at a medical center.

The most accurate is underwater weight. But hardly anyone can do that so skinfold calipers are used most often.

Not sure about the cost--you will have to call around.

Answer 5

callipers have to be used by a doctor for calculation but I know our office had a bone density machine that would also calulate body fat, of course more accurately but that would also have a cost to it

Answer 6

if u get a personal trainer before you start with them ask them if they can measure it

Answer 7

A gym, if you ask, they'll use this tool to pinch you, and they can measure it.

Answer 8

Not sure read some tips on it on this site

Answer 9

at a hospital