Calculate Your Body Fat Index

by Robert Locke
The body fat index is an estimated range of what a person's body fat percentage should naturally be as opposed to lean body mass - made up of muscle, bone, skin and blood. It tells us the difference between the weight of the fat mass as opposed to that of the muscle mass. Body fat index or percentage is a better indicator than the BMI (Body Mass Index) which lumps all the masses into one estimate. Body fat index is calculated as total ether extract + fat pad weights, divided by body weight, multiplied by 100. Your body fat index is a true indicator of healthy weight. Lots of new weighing scales have a body fat index calculator. Our bodies need fat - we cannot do without it but too much is bad. If,after several readings, your body fat index is clearly trending up, you may want to reconsider your diet and exercise programs. Compared to body weight, the body fat index is a more accurate and objective indication of a person's health. A much better test of true body fat index is a caliper (used in gyms, check it out. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is one way to estimate your body fat percentage. Two conductors are attached to the body and a small electrical charge is sent through the body. Body fat is calculated since the resistance to electricity varies between fat (adipose) tissue and that of muscular or skeletal tissues.

Weight

Monitor your weight and body fat percentage. For men there is a gradual decline in testosterone levels which slowly reduces the amount of lean muscle weight. This decreases the metabolism and the body requires less energy to maintain weight, with eating habits strongly established it contributes a positive energy balance forcing the body to store excess energy in fat cells. There must be a gradual dietary adaptation to allow the body to adjust to fat burning OR weight loss will slow or stop. How can I decrease my body fat if I'm the correct weight and BMI for my height and age? Reducing your body fat while staying at the same weight means you will have to build more muscle. That means less cardio and more weight training . I just read that your attitude is everything, a study of housekeepers who were told that they were doing enough activity to lose weight, did actually lose weight.

Health

So, what is a healthy body fat. The minimum amount of essential fat in women is between 10-13% while for men it is much lower at between 2-5% An acceptable figure for men would be between 18-25% while for women it can range from 25-31%. Anything above that is bordering on fat or obese. There are fast and accurate body scales on the market for monitoring weight loss and maintaining health ,using the BIA method I described above .If all doctors had this machine in their offices, we might start getting some more meaningful data on the "weight" issue.

About the Author
Author: Robert William Locke . colbor@yahoo.com Specialising in Health and Fitness. Get your fat index down at:-http://tinyurl.com/3529q5