How do you work out body fat?

[springchickennolonger]

I remember "pinch an inch": is it really that simple?

I'm 54 and struggle with weight. I do mfp to keep me on the straight and narrow, which is great. I'm a 12 and I refuse to weigh because I know I would become obsessed.

I can grab bits of myself (thighs, top of arms, belly) so I'm guessing I'm overweight. So I'm wondering whether my "pinch an inch" approach is more useful than bmi and all that sciency stuff?

What other ways are there of working out excess weight?

BMI is a useful guide, if it tells you that you are outside the healthy range then you can investigate further - for example someone with a large amount of muscle may have a high BMI but be low in body fat so perfectly fit and healthy.

Also useful is waist to height ratio.

If you want a more detailed number then try the US Navy body fat calculator. For your age a range of 23-33% is healthy.

There are also body fat scales in gyms and Boots but I would be very wary of setting any store by the numbers they give you. If you want a proper fat measurement then a personal trainer with callipers is best bet (short of paying fortunes for a bodpod measurement).

Ooh, thanks. Just tried the Navy calculator: I am "acceptable"! I struggle at the top end of the bmi, so feel better now! I like the way the neck measurement is factored in too.

Calipers! Of course! That's what I meant by pinching an inch (although a bit more sophisticated.)