Types of Body Composition Tests

Body Composition in Relation to Obesity

Body Composition directly relates to the topic of obesity. As discussed in the last blog post, the easiest way to test body composition and obesity risk is to use Body Mass Index(BMI). However, there are many problems with BMI because it does not take into account the fat free mass versus fat mass. It simply takes weight and height into account. This is an issue because a muscular athlete may be on the "obese" section of the BMI scale because their muscle weighs so much. However, they are fit and healthy. That is why it is important to know the more accurate types of testing for Body Composition. 

Types of Body Composition Tests

1. DEXA scan: Individual lies on a table and X-rays are used to distinguish fat from fat free mass.

DEXA results
reddit.com

Real life DEXA scan
meandmymastcells.com

• Pros: Gold Standard Test (Accurate)
• Cons: Hard to find, can be very expensive

2. Whole Body Plethysmography (Bod Pod): Individual sits inside of the "pod" wearing as little clothing as possible. The pod measures the amount of air you displace which will read your density. Percentage body fat is able to be calculated.

Real life bod pod example
www.mayoclinic.org

• Pros: Extremely accurate
• Cons: Hard to find, hard to pronounce, expensive

3. Hydro-static Weighing: Individual sits on a scale in a giant tub of water. Person exhales all of the water in their lungs and sits on the underwater scale for at least 10 seconds. This test also measures density. Therefore, percentage body fat is able to be calculated.

• Pros: Very Accurate



Real life example
sportsmedicine.about.com

• Cons: Hard to find, subject must get wet and go underwater

Example of underwater weighing
blog.digifit.com

What should your fat percentage be?

Fat percentages are different for everyone. They differ based on gender, height, activity level, genetics, environment, and more. For example, females should have roughly 20-30% of their body weight be from fat. Males should have roughly 12-20% of their body weight be from fat. As stated earlier, these numbers can change based off of many other factors. 

Healthy composition for males and females.
lookfordiagnosis.com

Resources

5 Ways to Test Your Body Composition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/5-ways-to-test-your-body-composition?page=2