MACHINE MEASURES OF FAT MASS AND FAT DISTRIBUTION
Technological developments in the area have led to a number of different machines now being available for directly or indirectly measuring body fatness. Some of these are extremely expensive and would not be used in the normal day-to-day counseling situation. Others are now becoming more portable and more accessible and provide at least an opportunity for adding to other measures. The current range of machines include: underwater weighing, bio-impedance analysis, etc.
Underwater, hydrostatic weighing, or densiometry as it is sometimes called, has been the ‘gold standard’ of fat measurement for many years. This is carried out by immersing the subject totally in water and corrrecting for air trapped in the lungs. The person’s weight in air and their weight underwater are then calculated to determine body density, body volume and body fat percentage. The fatter a person is, the heavier he or she weighs in air and the lighter he or she weighs in water. Because it requires a lot of equipment and delicate measuring techniques, underwater weighing is generally reserved for research purposes or for measuring body fat changes in elite athletes. Validity is high, as is the reliability and sensitivity of the measure. The practicality of this measure, however, limits it to research and teaching facilities, with little prospect for use in the practical counselling situation.
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