Other methods include the Bod pod, underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance (BI) and using skin fold callipers (SFC).
The Bodpod is a chamber you sit in for 5 minutes that uses body weight and air displacement plethysmography to determining body fat and is a fairly accurate and reliable system to use, however the pods are quite expensive which might make their use limited in clinical practice.
Underwater weighing is a process where a person is lowered into a tank full of water until all body parts are emerged. The person must then remain still underwater while a weight is recorded. This procedure is repeated several times to get a dependable underwater weight from which body fat is calculated. This technique is quite unpractical for a clinical setting.
BI is a scientifically validated technique used for measuring body fat that is becoming increasingly popular in hospitals, health centres and gyms, with many different devices on the market for home and professional use. The BI device sends an electric impulse through the body using the time elapsed from when the signal passes through your body and back to the device to estimate body fat percentage and lean muscle mass. There are some criticisms of these devices – that they can give a false reading depending on how under or hyper hydrated you are. Nor does the BI device give you any information on regional fat stores and has to be used in conjunction with WC and or WHR to establish this. If combined with other methods BI could be useful in clinical practice.
Using SFC is another reliable way to measure skin fold thickness and bodyfat and can be used to chart regional body fat reduction. Sites such as the triceps, subscapula, suprailiac, umbilicus, mid-axillary, and thigh are commonly used in research studies that can be used to calculate body fat. Conversely you can tally the sum of the sites and use that number to chart whether you are losing body fat. Criticisms include that there can be problems with intra-tester and inter-tested variability and that the equations used to calculate a body fat percentage can be inaccurate. However using skin fold callipers are a quick and reliable method in a skilled pair of hands and very suited to a clinical environment.
Once you have ascertained your weight, WC, WHR, body fat percentage and information on your regional fat distribution, it is a good idea to re-test once a week during your weight loss programme to chart your progress, as with weighing yourself conduct these tests once a week, on the same day, at roughly the same time of day, after emptying bowels and bladder whilst naked. Make sure you use the same equipment each time for consistency. Now you have started collecting your weight loss data, what do you do?
