Body Composition Tools

Body composition can tell a lot about a body. It‘s particularly useful when gauging progress during a weight loss or fitness program. At-home body composition tools aren’t going to be as accurate as having it professionally tested, but they can give you a pretty decent idea of how healthy you are.

Tools of the trade

• Body fat analyzers - Hold the handles on one of these machines and it’ll tell you what you need to know about your body’s composition, from body fat percentage to BMI. Some store a number of profiles so you and other users can keep track of progress. If you’re athletic look for one that has an athlete mode. Cost: About $50.
• Body fat scales - This machine combines a traditional body weight scale with extra features such as body fat percentage, body water percentage and BMI. Look for one that takes height, age and gender into consideration and saves profiles for one or more user. Cost: Between $40 and $130.
• Body composition scale - A scale like this one includes handlebars and will measure exact numbers or give ranges for weight, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle percentage, BMI, visceral fat level and *RMR[RMR Calculator] (resting metabolic rate). Cost: About $90.
• Fat calipers - This piece of equipment is necessary for the time-honored tradition of skinfold testing - that is pinching and measuring body fat. Some calipers will require you to read and record measurements, while others will do it for you and save the results. The best ones will ensure consistent pressure. Cost: $10 to $60.
• Measuring tape - Any flexible cloth or vinyl measuring tape will do, but some companies, such as MyoTape sell tape measures that are housed in a package that locks and allows you to retract the tape measure with the touch of a button for snug measurements. Cost: About $10.

Is it necessary to own body composition tools?

If you’re going to buy a scale anyways, there’s no harm in getting one that estimates body fat percentage at the same time. But there is no need for most women to spend time and money on body composition tools. For one thing, it’s easy and probably more accurate to have body composition measured at a health center. Besides, you don’t need to determine body composition every day, or even every week. If you’re gauging progress once every three to six months is enough. If you just want to ensure you’re keeping on track in the long term, you can get away with doing it even less.