Principles of Estimating Body FAT Percentage

PRINCIPLES OF ESTIMATING BODY FAT PERCENTAGE

Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scales allow you to determine your body fat percentage at home as easily as you measure your weight.

What is Body Fat Percentage?

Body fat percentage is the percentage of fat in your body. Too much body fat has been linked to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other disabling conditions.

Body Fat Ranges for Standard Adults 1, 2

	Underfat		Healthy	Overfat Obese
Female 20–39


Age 40–59
Age 40–59

60–79
60–79
0%	10%	20%	30%	40%
Male 20–39
Male 20–39

Age 40–59
Age 40–59

60–79
60–79

1Based on NIH/WHO BMI Guidelines.

2As reported by Gallagher, et al, at NY Obesity Research Center.

To determine the percentage of body fat that is appropriate for your body, consult your physician.

Underfat

Healthy

Overfat

Obese

The BIA Method

Tanita Body Fat Monitor/Scales use the BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) technique. In this method, a safe, low-level electrical signal is passed through the body. It is difficult for the signal to flow through fat in the human body, but easy to flow through moisture in the muscle and other body tissues. The difficulty with which a signal flows through a substance is called impedance. So the more resistance, or impedance, the signal encounters, the higher the body fat reading.

Tanita’s patented “foot-pad” design sends a safe, low- level electrical signal through the body to determine its composition.

Body Fat Percentage Fluctuations in a Day

Hydration levels in the body may affect body fat readings. Readings are usually highest in the early waking hours, since the body tends to be dehydrated after a long night’s sleep. For the most accurate reading, a person should take a body fat percentage reading at a consistent time of day under consistent conditions.

Besides this basic cycle of fluctuations in the daily body fat readings, variations may be caused by hydration changes in the body due to eating, drinking, menstruation, illness, exercising, and bathing. Daily body fat readings are unique to each person, and depend upon one’s lifestyle, job and activities.