Body Fat analysis

August 25th, 2010

Body Composition Analysis determines the amount of “fat free mass” or “lean mass” (everything except fat) in the body, versus the body’s fat mass. The most accurate way is through Hydrostatic Weighing and it is the standard for body composition analysis. You basically climb into a tub of water, exhale all the water out of your lungs as you lower down to the bottom of the tub. The calculation is based on the amount of water your body displaces.

Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to have my body fat measured. I was in the healthy range, so I was happy about that. Body fat % is pretty interesting to me. You can be “overweight” but still fall within the healthy range (remember that muscle weighs more than fat). You can also be at a healthy weight, but have a high body fat %. Have you ever heard the term “skinny fat.” I’m not a big fan of that term, but what it means is that someone can be seemingly “skinny” but if they’ve never worked out, it’s possible that their body fat % is higher than someone who’s “bigger” that works out a lot. Crazy, right?

So what’s the healthy range for your age? Here’s general guide:

Age (20-29): women 19%, men 11.8%
Age (30-39): women 20%, men 15.9%
Age (40-49): women 23.5%, men 18.1%
Age (50-59): women 26.6%, 19.8%
Age (65+): women 27.5%, men 20.3%

Want to get your body composition analysis? Well my friend Linda has a mobile hydrostatic body fat testing clinic and she’s going to be in Culver City on Wednesday September 15th outside the Herbalife Building from 2 – 8 pm. You can call 949-283-3655 to make an appointment. Wear a bathing suit and remember to bring a towel with you!

You can also click here for some of the other locations.