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In the struggle for harmony is always important to know how efficient the process of weight loss is going.
You can measure the waist an inch, you can pull an old favorite jeans – everyone has their own methods.
However, it is always important to know due to which component the adipose tissue or muscle, the volume is reduced and there is decrease in body mass.
Some fitness centers surcharge is proposed to determine the percentage of fatty tissue in the body using high-tech devices. They give a fairly accurate result. But approximate values can be obtained at home, and completely free.
The body mass index
The body mass index (BMI) is calculated by the formula “body weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters”. To determine your BMI the easiest way is with the help of special calculator.
How to measure?
Stand up straight, straighten your back. Grab the skin-fat fold just below the navel, horizontal, thumb on top, forefinger on the bottom.
Place a ruler horizontally, resting on its end in the stomach, and measure the thickness of folds in mm. Then locate the resulting value in the table below, considering your age.
The fat tissue in the body of women (in percent)
| Subcutaneous fat fold, mm | 18-29 years | 30-39 years | 40-49 | 50 and more years |
| 15 | 10,5 | — | — | — |
| 20 | 14,1 | 17 | 19,8 | 21,4 |
| 25 | 16,8 | 19,4 | 22,2 | 24 |
| 30 | 19,5 | 21,8 | 24,5 | 26,6 |
| 35 | 21,5 | 23,7 | 26,4 | 28,5 |
| 40 | 23,4 | 25,5 | 26,2 | 30,3 |
| 45 | 25 | 26,9 | 29,6 | 31,9 |
| 50 | 26,5 | 28,2 | 31 | 33,4 |
| 55 | 27,8 | 29,4 | 32,1 | 34,6 |
| 60 | 29,1 | 30,6 | 33,2 | 35,7 |
| 65 | 30,2 | 31,6 | 34,1 | 36,7 |
| 70 | 31,2 | 32,5 | 35 | 37,7 |
| 75 | 32,2 | 33,4 | 35,9 | 38,7 |
| 80 | 33,1 | 34,3 | 36,7 | 39,6 |
| 85 | 34 | 35,1 | 37,5 | 40,4 |
| 90 | 34,6 | 35,8 | 38,1 | 41,2 |
| 95 | 35,6 | 36,5 | 39 | 41,9 |
| 100 | 36,4 | 37,2 | 39,7 | 42,6 |
| 105 | 37,1 | 37,9 | 40,4 | 43,3 |
| 110 | 37,8 | 38,6 | 41 | 43,9 |
| 115 | 38,4 | 39,1 | 41,5 | 44,5 |
| 120 | 39 | 39,6 | 42 | 45,1 |
| 125 | 39,6 | 40,1 | 42,5 | 45,7 |
| 130 | 40,2 | 40,6 | 43 | 46,2 |
| 135 | 40,8 | 41,1 | 43,5 | 46,7 |
| 140 | 41,3 | 41,6 | 44 | 47,2 |
| 145 | 41,8 | 42,1 | 44,5 | 47,7 |
| 150 | 42,3 | 42,6 | 45 | 48,2 |
| 155 | 42,8 | 43,1 | 45,4 | 48,7 |
| 160 | 43,3 | 43,6 | 45,8 | 49,2 |
| 165 | 43,7 | 44 | 46,2 | 49,6 |
| 170 | 44.1 kHz | 44,4 | 46,6 | 50 |
| 175 | 44,4 | 44,8 | 47 | 50,4 |
| 180 | 44,7 | 45,2 | 47,4 | 50,8 |
| 185 | 45 | 45,6 | 47,8 | 51,2 |
| 190 | 45,3 | 45,9 | 48,2 | 51,6 |
| 195 | 45,5 | 46,2 | 48,5 | 52 |
| 200 | 45,5 | 46,5 | 48,8 | 52,4 |
| 205 | 45,8 | 46,8 | 49,1 | 52,7 |
| 210 | 46 | 47,1 | 49,4 | 53 |
The content of adipose tissue in male organism (in percent)
| Subcutaneous fat fold, mm | 18-29 years | 30-39 years | 40-49 | 50 and more years |
| 15 | 4,8 | — | — | — |
| 20 | 8,1 | 12,2 | 12,2 | 12,6 |
| 25 | 10,5 | 14,2 | 15 | 15,6 |
| 30 | 12,9 | 16,2 | 17,7 | 18,6 |
| 35 | 14,7 | 17,7 | 19,6 | 20,8 |
| 40 | 16,4 | 19,2 | 21,4 | 22,9 |
| 45 | 17,7 | 20,4 | 23 | 24,7 |
| 50 | 19 | 21,5 | 24,6 | 26,5 |
| 55 | 20,1 | 22,5 | 25,9 | 27,9 |
| 60 | 21,2 | 23,5 | 27,1 | 29,2 |
| 65 | 22,2 | 24,3 | 28,2 | 30,4 |
| 70 | 23,1 | 25,1 | 29,3 | 31,6 |
| 75 | 24 | 25,9 | 30,3 | 32,7 |
| 80 | 24,8 | 26,6 | 31,2 | 33,8 |
| 85 | 25,5 | 27,2 | 32,1 | 34,8 |
| 90 | 26,2 | 27,8 | 33 | 35,8 |
| 95 | 26,9 | 28,4 | 33,7 | 36,6 |
| 100 | 27,6 | 29 | 34,4 | 37,4 |
| 105 | 28,2 | 29,6 | 35,1 | The 38.2 |
| 110 | 28,8 | 30,1 | 35,8 | 39 |
| 115 | 29,4 | 30,6 | 36,4 | 39,7 |
| 120 | 30 | 31,1 | 37 | 40,4 |
| 125 | 30,5 | 31,5 | 37,6 | 41,1 |
| 130 | 31 | 31,9 | The 38.2 | 41,8 |
| 135 | 31,5 | 32,3 | 38,7 | 42,4 |
| 140 | 32 | 32,7 | 39,2 | 43 |
| 145 | 32,5 | 33,1 | 39,7 | 43,6 |
| 150 | 32,9 | 33,5 | 40,2 | 44.1 kHz |
| 155 | 33,3 | 33,9 | 40,7 | 44,6 |
| 160 | 33,7 | 34,3 | 41,2 | 45,1 |
| 165 | 33,7 | 34,6 | 41,6 | 45,6 |
| 170 | 34,5 | 34,8 | 42 | 46,1 |
| 175 | 34,9 | 35 | 42,4 | 46,5 |
| 180 | 35 | 35,2 | 42,8 | 46,9 |
| 185 | 35,6 | 35,4 | 43 | 47,3 |
| 190 | 35,9 | 35,6 | 43,3 | 47,7 |
How accurate is the method?
“This table has the shortcomings. First, the tabular values are still averaged and they can vary greatly for people of the same age and gender. Secondly, to accurately measure the thickness of fat folds at home is not very easy.
When the method useful?
Usually the scope of a healthy weight is customary to calculate using the formula of body mass index (BMI). But the resulting value does not always reflect the real picture.
For a more precise definition of your physical condition it is better to estimate using two measures – BMI and body fat percentage.
For example, if the reduction in BMI body fat percentage remains unchanged – the weight loss is due to the reduction of muscle mass, what might be called the exhaustion of the body. If the BMI increases, the change in the percentage of body fat will show, thereby increasing the weight, increasing muscle mass, or are deposited fat reserves.
This method of calculation is suitable for those who train regularly for weight loss. In this situation, it is important not the exact knowledge of the weight, BMI and percentage of body fat but the changes in dynamics.
Even if there is an error in a table or your measurements — dynamics of values will show whether you are moving in the right direction.
How to estimate percentage of body fat
The relative content of adipose tissue in the body of women (in percent)
| Feature | Age, years | ||||
| 18-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | >60 | |
| Very low | <16 | <17 | <18 | <19 | <20 |
| Low | 16-19 | 17-20 | 18-21 | 19-22 | 20-23 |
| Optimal | 20-28 | 21-29 | 22-30 | 23-31 | 24-32 |
| Moderate high | 29-31 | 30-32 | 31-33 | 32-33 | 33-35 |
The relative content of adipose tissue in male organism (in percent)
| Feature | Age, years | ||||
| 18-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50-59 | >60 | |
| Very low | <11 | <12 | <14 | <15 | <16 |
| Low | 11-13 | 12-14 | 14-16 | 15-17 | 16-18 |
| Optimal | 14-20 | 15-21 | 17-23 | 18-24 | 19-25 |
| Moderate high | 21-23 | 22-24 | 22-26 | 25-27 | 26-28 |
If the fat in organism is too little?
A low content of fat in the body is a reason not to be proud, but to revise the diet.
The lack of adipose tissue in the body disrupts the endocrine system. In this case, in women, periods may stop and appear early signs of osteoporosis – a disease in which bones lose calcium and become fragile.
Moreover, if you just lost body fat around the waist and hips, protection from the cold lose the kidneys and reproductive system. With hypothermia the woman are at risk to get inflammation in the pelvic organs.
If the fat in organism is too much?
Too high percentage of body fat indicates an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and metabolic diseases, e.g. hypertension and type II diabetes.
It is especially dangerous for both men and women so-called abdominal obesity – the accumulation of fat deposits in the waist. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by five times.
The real reason for the alarm appears when the waist circumference of men greater than 102, and in women 88 cm.
The most important
Measuring the relative content of body fat is possible at home. It is not very accurate, but allows to see the dynamics and to see how and due to what there is a weight loss. But do not get involved with complete body fat loss – it is important for the normal functioning of the organism.
The instruction on how too measure the body fat watch in the video below:
