What would you do to find out what percent of your body is fat?  Archimedes came up with a pretty infallible test.  Most of the rest are proxies, pretenders at best.  I here examine, for some, the worthless BMI measure and what the military has to say on the matter. Check out the equations, BMI widget and charts.

OVER THE last two days, I’ve been obsessed with measuring fat.

Not how much fat is in a particular food whispering to me.  Not how much covers my own real estate, nicely spread out, I might add.  But how much – measured as a percent of body mass – is in, and on, every body.

This is a long story, and over time I’ll get it out on this blog in sufficient detail to make you batty, but suffice to say for today:

I want to find a way to quickly, easily and accurately measure body fat!

What’s led me to this quest is part of that aforementioned long story; this part:

As I’ve gotten older, this boomer body that once was the high temple of athleticism has over the years, very slowly, certainly imperceptibly month-to-month, gotten fatter.

About 15 years ago, my perennial 34” waist sized pants inched up to size 36.  Now big deal, because you know what?  My upper body got a bit larger too.  So the whole package looked about the same.  Same proportions.

Yes, the resistance training (aka weight lifting) kept the muscle going and the muscle kept the fat from sagging, but you know what?

It’s been dawning on me that if I take off my shirt and peer bare-chested at the mirror, it seems like some cruel artist took a thick paint brush dripping with fat and layered it on sufficient for me to more resemble the Pillsbury dough boy than ever before.

(Ahh, well, I did have that one pre-teen year when my father was stationed in Ethiopia that I was miserable, and – apparently – ate myself into to a so-called “husky” pant’s size.)

There are reasons for this beyond my own fault.

Really?

Yes, it’s not my fault that as I got older certain aspects of my socialization shifted, like from charging up Mt. Tamalpais on mountain bikes with my buddies to swirling some red wine around a glass to see what kind of “legs” it presented.

And it’s not my fault that as I got older certain aspects of my biology shifted around a bit, producing relatively more estradiol than testosterone than before.

Certainly, it’s not my fault that I actually got older.  Can’t beat that, can you?

(Actually, can surely slow it down, as chronology does not equal biology, but exploring that is for another post.)

“Just how fat are you now, Joe?”, I asked the plump figure in the mirror.

Right behind me against the wall, I have something that should be able to tell me, a Tanita BC534 Glass InnerScan Body Composition Monitor.  This means a scale that can suggest what percent of your body is fat.

It looks like this:

In the sentence above, I carefully selected the word “suggest” when describing what Tanita and every other scale does that attempts to measure body fat by a technique called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.

You push a button, step on the scale and an unfelt, harmless electrical current passes through your body with greater impedance in the lower water containing tissue, such as fat, than fat-free mass which contains more water. This difference is measured and out pops a reading of your body fat percentage.

The Interpretation of that electrical resistance is, in part, left to certain formulas, and they cannot account for shifting variables.

These variables include age, gender, ethnicity, body size, fitness level and how much water you’ve been drinking.  (It’s probably not enough water and that will make the scale suggest that you’re fatter than you are.  Or not.)

What it all boils down to is that you can not be certain that the egregiously high percent body fat number that gets displayed on the scale’s LCD panel after the electricity gently pervades your body is the right number.

And that’s a relief because when you see that truly big number pop up and your heart starts racing, you’ll soon remind yourself that it might just be wrong, that you might not be quite that fat.

“These damn scales just ain’t accurate!”, you’ll mutter to yourself, because no way you’re going to let anyone else near you and that scale.

And you’re right, gentle reader, but – unfortunately – they’re pretty close.

Lordy Be, I’ve Got Cognitive Dissonance

So, I know what the Tanita will tell me and I’ve been slow to accept it.  “I simply can’t be that fat”, I sputter.

Although that image in the mirror might have shades of P. Boy… after a good weight lifting session, a roll in some olive oil, dimmed lights and some squinting — why, there’s my former lean mean muscle machine self peering back at me.

The psychologists call this “cognitive dissonance”.

I’ll give you the link, but this is worthy of copying the definition here cause it underscores my point (which assumes I know where all of this is going, but I don’t… not yet…), and that is:

“Cognitive dissonance is a discomfort caused by holding conflicting cognitions (e.g., ideas, beliefs, values, emotional reactions) simultaneously. In a state of dissonance, people may feel surprise, dread, guilt, anger, or embarrassment”

Surprise… check.

Guilt… nay

Anger… nay

Embarrassment… a bit, after all, I’m a health blogger!

Now, truth be told, if I’m willing to believe Tanita, she suggests I’m only about 10 pounds overweight, depending what is the right percent body fat for me.

Which leads me a step closer to the whole point of this post:

What Percent Fat is Too Fat?

There are two answers to this question – yours and scientists.

The scientists give us charts, like this one (click to enlarge):

And you give yourself your own acceptable level, the athlete’s being lower than the couch surfer’s.

A quick scan of the above chart will show that it’s OK from a health perspective to be relatively fatter as you age, but that such healthy fat levels are quite a bit lower than those associated with being overweight and obese.

If my readers’ bodies have the overall fat distribution of the U.S. population, there’s a 6- in-10 chance that you are in the yellow or orange section of the chart, and a 3-in-10 chance you’re orange.

And yet, I bet that you really don’t know what color you are, speaking contextually.

And, I bet that if you could turn around and grab your Tanita sitting against the wall of your bathroom, push the button, stand on it, peer down at that insulting number which races your heart, you too wouldn’t believe it.

And the fact that you might be justified in not believing it is why for over the last two days I’ve been obsessed with measuring fat.

You and I — we just want another opinion.

BMI Nonsense, and The Search for the Perfect Fat Measuring Algorithm

“BMI” stands for “Body Mass Index”, and is a proxy for human body fat based on an individual’s weight and height. Unfortunately, BMI doesn’t actually measure the percentage of body fat; rather, it’s a simple numeric measure of a person’s “thickness” or “thinness” relative to an average distribution of people (adults) in the population.

A BMI of 18.5 to 25 may indicate optimal weight; a BMI lower than 18.5 suggests the person is underweight while a number above 25 may indicate the person is overweight; a person may have a BMI below 18.5 due to disease; a number above 30 suggests the person is obese (over 40, morbidly obese).

Here’s the chart (click to enlarge):

Here’s the formulas:

English BMI Formula BMI = (Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches x Height in inches) ) x 703
Metric BMI Formula BMI = (Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters x Height in Meters ) )

For your convenience, here’s a widget to calculate your BMI:

The odds are that your BMI fairly represents where you sit on the chart relative to the rest of the population.  But if you’re particularly short, or tall or muscular, or an athlete (weekend warriors are disqualified), then the BMI results for you are phooey.

BMI simply does not account for non-average muscle size, density or frame size.

I’m large framed, tall and lift weights regularly.  I wonder what BMI would say about me?

I popped my numbers into the BMI widget:

Which brings me back to my “cognitive dissonance”, for as you can see, with a BMI of 25.8, I’m considered overweight.

Overweight on the above Body Fat Ranges chart (OK, they call it “Overfat”) would put me at around 23% body fat.

Even Tanita isn’t that cruel!

I want another approach.  Enter stage right, the Navy and Air force (and others) to the rescue.

The Navy, Air Force and Whatever Algorithms

Let’s cut to the chase – these fine institutions recognize that BMI ain’t where it’s at, that there needs to be some way to factor in density, muscle and frame size.

The Navy, Air Force and others came up with proxies – decent representations – for density, muscle, fat and frame sized based upon thousands of data points that show a strong relationship between certain physical parts and these attributes.

They are, depending on the test: wrist size (proxy for frame size), neck size (proxy for muscle) and belly size (proxy for fat).

Here are some examples of the equations:

males: % body fat = 86.010 x log10(abdomen – neck) – 70.041 x log10(height) + 36.76

females: % body fat = 163.205 x log10(waist + hip – neck) – 97.684 x log10(height) – 78.387

The bad news is that I don’t have a handy widget for this to present you so you can calculate your own body fat via this method.

The good news is that you can use these formulas in Excel, plug in your numbers and get your results.

I did.

My result was 19% body fat… lower than what BMI suggests and Tanita whispers, but leaving me stuck in my cognitive dissonance nonetheless.

So, I’m going to stay obsessed with this… in fact, I’m seeking to come up with my own simple and accurate body percent fat calculation method… till I get what I want to hear… err, I mean, till I get it right.

Have you any thoughts on this matter? 

If so, please submit them in the Comments section below.

Learn about the Runner’s Test for Pronation or Supination. (Pics. below.)

If you run and want to keep at it, eventually you need to know your foot type.  Do you pronate, supinate, or do something in between?  If your running shoe isn’t built for your foot type, running will become more difficult and you’ll potentially develop pain in the feet, ankles, knees and hips.  Perhaps even in the calves, which is my issue these days.

TODAY IS an aerobic day, meaning that as opposed to a day designated to do resistance training (weight lifting, calisthenics and the like) or yoga, it’s time do work the cardiovascular system.

For me, this is moderate aerobic activity, which would be biking or “slogging” at a pace where I could talk without too much discomfort, interspaced by surges to get my heart rate pumping near maximum for a minute or more.

“Slogging” for the uninitiated or young, is running reductionism, two levels removed.

In years past, I actually ran without any subsequent ill effects, like knee pain, hip pain, calf pain.  As time passed and a gray hair or two flowered, my running was reduced to jogging, accompanied to some degree by one or more of the above mentioned “ill effects”.

Now, mostly, I slog.  Slogging is the next reduction down from jogging, and two removed from running.  I try to slog twice a week, and, yes, it can result in one or more of the ill effects.

OK, with all that said, I peered at my sorry looking running shoes this morning, which were always the wrong shoes for me, and thought, “Maybe a new pair of running shoes will reduce the ill effects and edge up my slogging to jogging.”

Hope springs eternal.

Accordingly, I jumped online to find a good pair of runners.  This time, I was determined to find the “right” pair, the shoe that fit me, and that – finally – is the real crux of this story, which is:

Too many people (like me) buy the wrong running shoe because they don’t know whether they are pronators or supinators.

Do you know which one you are?

Do you select running shoes based on pronation or supination?

It’s worth knowing about this.  Most running shoes tend to compensate for pronation, because most people have this issue.  Lucky them.  But if you’re like me, you’re a supinator and thus wearing a shoe built for pronators will potentially wreck havoc on your body.  As they say, one body part is connected to another, kinda like links in a chain, so if you’re out of balance in your feet, your ankles, knees, hips, etc. can be deleteriously affected.

A Test for Pronation and Supination

The following information about a test to determine pronation or supination comes to us courtesy of Runner’s World.  Here’s what to do:

1) Pour a thin layer of water into a shallow pan

2) Wet the sole of your foot.

3) Step onto a shopping bag or a blank piece of heavy paper.

4) Step off and look down

Observe the shape of your foot and match it with one of the foot types shown below.  Although other variables (such as your weight, biomechanics, weekly mileage, and fit preferences) come into play, knowing your foot type is the first step toward finding the right shoe for you.

Normal (medium) Arch If you see about half of your arch, you have the most common foot type and are considered a normal pronator. Contrary to popular belief, pronation is a good thing. When the arch collapses inward, this “pronation” absorbs shock. As a normal pronator, you can wear just about any shoe, but may be best suited to a stability shoe that provides moderate arch support (or medial stability). Lightweight runners with normal arches may prefer neutral-cushioned shoes without any added support, or even a performance-training shoe that offers some support but less heft, for a faster feel.

Flat (low) Arch If you see almost your entire footprint, you have a flat foot, which means you’re probably an overpronator. That is, a micro-second after footstrike, your arch collapses inward too much, resulting in excessive foot motion and increasing your risk of injuries. You need either stability shoes, which employ devices such as dual-density midsoles and supportive “posts” to reduce pronation and are best for mild to moderate overpronators, or motion-control shoes, which have firmer support devices and are best for severe overpronators, as well as tall, heavy (over 165 pounds), or bow-legged runners.

High Arch (This one’s me.) If you see just your heel, the ball of your foot, and a thin line on the outside of your foot, you have a high arch, the least common foot type. This means you’re likely an underpronator, or supinator, which can result in too much shock traveling up your legs, since your arch doesn’t collapse enough to absorb it. Underpronators are best suited to neutral-cushioned shoes because they need a softer midsole to encourage pronation. It’s vital that an underpronator’s shoes have no added stability devices to reduce or control pronation, the way a stability or motion-control shoe would.

Identify Which is You

For those of you who are wondering if it’s worth getting up and finding some cardboard, extracting your feet from their socks, etc., check out these next images.

Perhaps if you identify with one of them and think, “Hey, I haven’t been paying attention to getting runners that fit my foot type, and maybe that’s why: a) I hate running, b) I stopped running, c)I hurt running”, then you’ll become sufficiently innervated to get your feet wet.

Which one is you?

By the way, I continue to search for the perfect supinating shoe for moi, so I can once again be fleet of foot and impervious to aches and pain.

Hope springs eternal.

Related posts:

1. High-heeled Pain Forever — A New Study
2. Antioxidants “Kill” Free Radicals

A Good Look Inside

IT’S NO surprise to anyone who has ever been to a doctor that blood tests provide health practitioners with a penetrating window to our health status.
What might be surprising is the amount of information that comprehensive blood tests can offer, because most of us have only had the basic blood screening tests.

Penny Baron’s A Comprehensive Guide to Preventive Blood Testing, published by the Life Extension Magazine takes the reader through a quick review of stomach, liver and cancer markers, as well as skeletal/bone disorders that can be soundly discovered via blood testing.

Comprehensive blood test “panels” for males and females are is used to evaluate health status. The following tests are included in each panel, which, of course, is gender- specific:

• Chemistry Panel/CBC
• Free Testosterone
• Testosterone, Total
• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Sulfate
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
• Estradiol
• Homocysteine
• C-reactive protein (Cardiac) (High sensitivity)

Click on the above links (for “males” and “females”) to get descriptions of each test and for information about preparation and purchase.

More blood tests offered by the Life Extension Foundation can be examined here. (When you get to the page, scroll down.)

You may also consider getting a Hair Test done to see if you’re deficient in any health-sustaining minerals, which I examine here.

Related posts:

1. Hair Analysis Test — Simple, Cheap, Valuable
2. Guidelines Push Back Age for Cervical Cancer Tests
3. Men’s Health

PERHAPS YOU and just about everyone you know has taken vitamins at one time or another.  How many determined what their bodies really needed first?

Almost no one, I confidently state.

I’m guilty of this too.  It’s been more than a decade since I last had a hair analysis test or extensive blood test, and yet I keep consuming my long list of supplements.  (To be fair to myself, I do perceive the benefits for many of them, and am convinced of the benefits for all of them.)

Undeniably, it makes a lot of sense to invest the time and money to get tested before you spend a lot more time and money investing in a barrage of supplements.

After all, how do you know what you’re body needs?  What vitamins should you use? Almost everyone living in an industrialized society is filled with many heavy metals, but few get serious about detoxifying until they get the print out of the analysis. Then — after the shock subsides — it’s a rush to consume detox supplements such as Reduced L-Glutathione , and Milk Thistle Complex, among the  common, but helpful, buffered Vitamin C and Vitamin D3. (Check out: Vitamins and Minerals – The Basics.)

The Naturopathic Doctor who was a mentor to me, and got me to get my hair tested once upon a time, no longer provides this service, so I jumped on the Web to investigate to whom I could point you.  There are many options, but I got drawn into Dr. Kathleen Akin’s service.

$135 Buys A Lot of Information About You

I don’t know Dr Akin at all, but given what I’ve read on her Web site, she seems to have the right spin on health, in my humble point of view, and offers a comprehensive hair analysis test for a modest sum, $135.00, which includes a 15-20 page report that details your mineral content, metal toxicities, significant health ratios, and metabolic rate. It also includes a 15 minute phone or email consultation provided by Dr. Akin.

The rest of what I present here below is mostly from Dr. Akin’s site.

Benefits of Hair Analysis

Hair tissue mineral analysis is unique in that it is non-invasive and an inexpensive way to give information directly about the cellular activity that determines nutritional metabolism.

A hair tissue mineral analysis is a standard test used globally for the biological monitoring of trace elements and toxic metals in humans and animal species. The same technology is used for soil testing and testing of rock samples to detect mineral levels.

The analysis indicates the nutritional content of the body’s tissue, toxic heavy metals, the ratio of nutrients to heavy metal toxins, and the metabolism type. Although valuable too, blood work provides different information.

Blood Tests vs. Hair Analysis

Blood tests always will be valuable to determine cholesterol, hemoglobin levels, and many other parameters. However, blood tests cannot provide the information provided by the hair analysis. There are several reasons why:

• Mineral levels in blood are ten times less than they are in the tissues, which makes measurements difficult.
• Blood levels are kept within very narrow limits by the body for various reasons, so that readings vary but little and less information can be learned.
• Blood tests are subject to daily fluctuations by the foods eaten the previous day, emotional states, etc.
• Unlike blood tests, hair tissue mineral analysis will not vary from day to day, and provides a long-term metabolic blueprint. When you understand this difference, you can avoid confusion and use the long-term reading to a definite advantage.

Why Should You Have a Hair Analysis?

Hair tissue mineral analysis can help anyone who:

• Is ill and doesn’t know why;
• Has identified the illness, but the therapy is ineffective; or
• Wants to improve health by identifying where some potential problems may exist as related to mineral deficiencies.

Hair tissue mineral analysis can open up a whole new approach to solving your own particular problem. Even without a severe health problem, abnormal changes in body chemistry and nutritional deficiencies may result in early, subtle changes in the body such as the following:

• White spots in the nails, stretch marks, and lack of nail growth can indicate a possible zinc deficiency.
• Longitudinal ridging in the nails may indicate an iron deficiency.
• Brittle hair and nails can show a calcium and copper imbalance.
• Autistic behaviors and mood swings can be linked to possible toxic metal accumulation like lead, mercury, or cadmium.

The above indicators are early signs of metabolic disturbances and may lead to serious problems if left unchecked.

Hair Analysis Disclaimer

No claims are made for the diagnosis, treatment, or cure of any disease or condition using hair tissue mineral analysis.

Related posts:

1. Bloody Tests For Your Health Score