Body Fat Composition Analysis

Body fat distribution can be estimated by skin fold measures, waist-to-hip circumference ratios, or techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging.” (www.cdc.gov) The difference is that obesity is a definite problem, whereas being overweight can be directly related to obese but may just be that your lean muscle weight is higher than the average person in you height category.

1. Place a plastic measuring trough on top of the digital balance, and press the "tare/on" button so that the mass of the trough will be "ignored." The digital balance should read "0.000 g" after this step.

The Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) relies on a basic form of body circumference measurements to determine a soldier’s body fat composition. Many people believe this standard of measuring is an unfair and inaccurate representation of their true body composition. There are several options that could provide a more accurate measurement such as hydrostatic testing, skin fold method, Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) only to name a few. There are many factors that influence the decisions of leaders such as availability, cost, reliability and accuracy of the method in which method they decide to use.

Set up the iron Ring on the Ring stand and out the wire gauze on the iron stand. Then weigh the evaporating dish

As the density of a liquid changes (like water) with the temperature, the hydrometers are calibrated, to adjust, or standardize a measuring instrument, usually by comparing it with an accepted model: calibrate an oven thermometer (The American Heritage: Student Science Dictionary 55), for different reference and sample temperatures (Dchauvin@lumcon.edu). You have to be very careful using a hydrometer because it is made of glass and consists or is part of a cylindrical stem, and inside of it there is a bulb, weighted with a poisonous liquid mercury or a head shot to make the hydrometer float upright (Hydrometer). If you want to read the gravity of a liquid, hydrometers contain a scale inside of the stem that can read gravity directly (Hydrometer). A measurement with a hydrometer can be used to calculate the salinity of the liquid sample, mostly water (Dchauvin@lumcon.edu). There are many different hydrometers and these different type of hydrometers come with different scales, and these scales depend on the characteristics of the liquid that the user or experimenter is measuring

Three imaging techniques have been used to measure muscle mass or lean body mass: 1.computed tomography (CT scan), 2.magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3.dual energy X-ray

Take 1 steel orb and weigh the mass on the balance. Record the weight in grams on the data table.

In the laboratory body composition measurements were taken in a practice setting. Body composition is just describing what the body is made up of. These measurements were taken from men and women, 21 to 25 years of age. Today many people have different health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Body composition matters when it comes to this, because being overweight and unhealthy makes a difference. Knowing where a person weight needs to be to stay and feel healthy is important. (However note just because a person looks a certain way does not always mean they are unhealthy or healthy) Therefore measurements must be as accurate as possible. The hypothesis is that humans are more likely to come upon errors more likely than a machine, especially if measurements are taken by different people.

Muscles have a harder time contracting with age and start to lack effectiveness and durability

The United States Army uses the height and circumference process, in accordance with Army Regulation 600-9, to calculate individual soldier’s body fat percentages. The formula to calculate body fat percentage measures the height, neck, and waist circumferences. For female soldiers, the hip circumference is included. Research studies show that the margin of error for the results of the process can be up to 15%. This means that if a body fat composition results in a 25% body fat calculation, the actual figure could be as low as 10% or as high as 40%. With advancements in technology, there are alternate, more accurate methods of calculating body fat percentage currently available.

Enter the body density into the appropriate population –specific equation from tables to calculate the percent body fat.

Figures 1 through 5 showed the correlations between body mass index, fitness index and blood pressures. Figure 1 showed a negative correlation between body mass index and fitness. They are inversely related, body mass index can tell you how much fat an individual has, and if an individual has a high fat density then the individual would have a lower fitness index compared to an individual less fat. Examining the data, it supports the BMI and fitness index hypothesis, showing when BMI is higher than the fitness index is lower. Figure 2 and 3 shows a positive correlation between body mass index and both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Excess body fat can lead to many medical risks such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome and more. Tracking body fat however is not as easy as hopping on a scale and reading a number. There are various methods for measuring body fat. The most accurate and common method is to take skin fold measurements. This requires special equipment that you can purchase. You can also you’re your doctor or a staff member at your local gym perform these skin fold measurements. Another method, although not as accurate, is to use an online body fat calculator. Even though these calculators are not as accurate, it will allow you to measure and see your progress when losing body

The form of body fat testing I chose to observe was the Bod Pod. I like this test due to its ease of performance, as well as its low error rate. While it is a much more difficult test to obtain use of, I have been fortunate enough to obtain my undergraduate degree from a University in which one was donated. I completed my undergrad in Exercise Science and be able to perform labs and work with tools, many are not able to. Furthermore, because I am an alumnus, I am also able to perform these tests at a much more reduced rate of $15 a person vs $45. In doing so, I was able to measure myself for this project.

This is a laboratory report on measuring body composition. The aim of the laboratory report was to compare two different field methods skinfolds and bioimpedance analysis to measure body composition and evaluate the most reliable doubly indirect method to measure body composition. A number of studies such as Kitano,T have shown a strong correlation between skinfold and bioelectrical impedance analysis and tend to have an average body fat difference of less than 0.6.