Option one: the body fat tongs
An inexpensive and relatively precise way of determining your body fat percentage is the so-called body fat tongs - also called caliper tongs *.
It is used to measure skin folds at several points on the body.
A common method that is sufficient for most people is the three-fold method, in which three folds of skin are measured at a time.
In women, the triceps, hips and thighs are measured here - in men, the chest, stomach and thighs.
With tables - or with special software or online calculators or apps - the body fat percentage can be determined with the respective values.
More precise measurements are based on up to ten points.
In order to get an accurate picture, two measurements should be carried out at the respective point with a short distance, which should differ from each other by a maximum of one millimeter.
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Body fat pliers are available inexpensively on the Internet from a number of manufacturers.
Caliper pliers are not suitable for obese people with a body fat percentage of over 35 percent.
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Option two: the body fat scale
Especially people who want to lose weight have this experience: You have paid attention to your diet and exercised a lot for weeks - and yet, according to the scale, you haven't lost a single pound.
A normal scale that simply measures weight is often misleading here: After all, they don't differentiate between body fat and muscles.
If you want to know exactly how your weight is doing, you can find out with a body fat scale.
Body fat scales: how do they work?
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Body fat scales work on the basis of what is known as bioelectrical impedance analysis.
A weak alternating current is passed through the body, which is generated by two electrodes on the scales.
The scales use the various resistances of water, fat and muscles to calculate the individual values - and analyze them in combination with your information on age, weight, gender and height.
You are then presented with the values for body fat content, muscle mass and calorie consumption.
Some body fat scales then send the data to special health apps via WiFi or Bluetooth.
This does have some advantages - you can keep an eye on your weight loss progress and use the results with several fitness tracking apps.
However, there is also a disadvantage: the data is usually stored on the servers of the respective company.
In principle, what happens to the data is not always transparent - you have to consider whether you want to run the risk that a company has (and could possibly pass on) a lot of health data from you.
This problem is also known to exist with fitness trackers.
The measurement accuracy of body fat scales
In particular, scales without external sensors are anything but accurate when it comes to measurement, experts repeatedly criticize.
If the scales work purely with sensors on the footplate, this only provides limited information about the percentage of fat in the upper body.
Parts of body fat are calculated using average values.
A one hundred percent accurate analysis is therefore not possible with a common consumer body fat scale.
A body fat scale with hand sensors works a bit more precisely here.
Measuring body fat: what you should keep in mind
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It is advisable to always measure at the same time.
As with regular scales, a good time with body fat scales is before breakfast - many swear by drinking a glass of water first, then going to the bathroom and waiting thirty minutes.
Body fat scales: an overview of some of the most popular models
If you are looking for a body fat scale with extensive functions, you should take a look at the BF 105 * from Beurer.
Body weight, body fat, muscle mass, body water, bone mass, calorie requirement and BMI are determined.
With four foot sensors and four hand sensors, the model promises precise measurement of the upper and lower body and has a load capacity of up to 180 kilograms.
The display can be placed on the scales, but it can also be picked up, for example to better recognize the values.
The scale is compatible with the Beurer health app; data can be transferred via Bluetooth or a USB cable.
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Body fat scale
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If you don't value an app or data transmission, you will find a suitable scale in the Tanita BC-545N *.
Like the Beurer model, it has eight sensors (four hand and four foot sensors each).
The segment measurement (upper and lower body) is intended to achieve more precise results than scales that only work with foot sensors.
The BMI, body fat, muscle mass, bone mass, visceral fat / body water and basal metabolic rate are displayed here.
It has five memory locations and a “guest mode”.
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The Withings * model comes with many additional features.
Among other things, it can measure pulse and heart rate and also offers nutrition tracking.
It can transfer data via WLAN and Bluetooth.
In contrast to the other models presented so far, it does not offer any hand sensors - instead 18 foot sensors.
It offers storage space for eight users - and also has a pregnancy and baby mode.
Attention: according to the manufacturer, the scale automatically synchronizes all data with the Health-Mate app.
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Body fat scale
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Various manufacturers known for their tracking bracelets also offer their own models.
With the Aria 2 *, Fitbit has an “intelligent WLAN scale” in its range that measures weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass and BMI.
Here, too, the data is automatically synchronized.
In addition to the Fitbit scale, there is a Xiaomi scale *, a similar product from a comparable manufacturer.
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Conclusion:
Whether you choose body fat pliers or body fat scales is a matter of taste, although the body fat scales commonly used in stores cannot offer a one hundred percent accurate analysis.
However, with these devices you can definitely see trends in weight gain or loss and with repeated measurements you can see whether you have gained muscle mass, for example (you can tell when your weight has increased but your body fat percentage has decreased).
The body fat forceps, on the other hand, are a cheap means of getting an accurate result with a little effort.
* If you complete a purchase using the links marked with an asterisk, WELT will receive a small commission. You can find our standards of transparency and journalistic independence at axelspringer.de/unabhaengigkeit.
This article was first published on February 17, 2020.