How to calculate body fat %

[tiredmama]

I opened my account yesterday, entered weight, but do not know how to calculate my % body fat. Can someone help me with this please.

[MidnightShadow]

go to this site and it will calculate it for you.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/

[smhermione]

Most people use a scale that calculates the body fat percentage for you.  Fitbit's Aria scale is one of the many that will do that.  These scales are not perfectly accurate, but they do give you an idea of how your body is trending over time.  I think that the only truly accurate way of measuring body fat percentage is through a trainer at a gym or a doctor (unless someone out in fitbit land knows another way to do it.)  Keep in mind that the BMI (body mass index) doesn't measure fat, it only compares your weight to your height in a very rough estimate of how much you should weigh for your height.  Good luck!

[whome]

Actually, that BMI calculator that MidnightShadow linked to does have some sort of BF% calculator that works from weight and waist, wrist, forearm and hip measurements - how accurate is it? I don't know. FWIW, my Tanita scale says my BF% is ~7% and this thing says ~13%, quite a difference.

[Heybales]

This gives average of several calculations.

Figure that a bunch of potentially 5% accurate calc's can improve the estimate.

http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html

[Lindamattila]

how do I calculate bmi and lean-to-fat content?

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@tiredmama wrote:

I opened my account yesterday, entered weight, but do not know how to calculate my % body fat. Can someone help me with this please.

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[Dominique]

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@Lindamattila wrote:

how do I calculate bmi and lean-to-fat content?

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Welcome to the community, @Lindamattila (or tervetuloa )!

You don’t have to calculate BMI, as it’s displayed for you in your Dashboard (if you’re accessing your account in a browser): just click on the Weight tile and on See more at the bottom, or use this direct link. You’ll also see lean vs. fat mass, provided you have a scale that can estimate your body fat %.

The same metrics are also available in the mobile app: click on the Weight tile and swipe to the left.

BMI is just a ratio between your height and your weight, so you can use Excel or your phone’s calculator to obtain it if you prefer. You can also plug in your data in an online calculator such as this one.

[Heybales]

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@Lindamattila wrote:

how do I calculate bmi and lean-to-fat content?

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@tiredmama wrote:

I opened my account yesterday, entered weight, but do not know how to calculate my % body fat. Can someone help me with this please.

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Look at the post right above yours.

Link to site for measurement method of estimating body fat %.

Actually, this whole topic has been about that question - merely reading the responses would have yielded several answered.

There is no correlation between BMI and BF%.

[rodriguezboneta]

https://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

[MaiMai2015]

I recently purchased the Aria Air  and since day one it has not been calculating. It is working fine. How can I resolve this? 

[Heybales]

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@MaiMai2015 wrote:

I recently purchased the Aria Air  and since day one it has not been calculating. It is working fine. How can I resolve this? 

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So is it "working fine", or "has it not been calculating"?

Those are opposing ideas really.

It's a super simple computer, standard computer troubleshooting, pull the batteries, re-enter your info, try again.

Still failing - you won't be able to resolve it yourself - call support that is shown in documentation.

Or at least start on the part of Fitbit Forums regarding a specific product.

[Baltoscott]

@MaiMai2015 -- the Aria Air does not have a body fat feature.  It just displays your weight and then syncs that to your fitbit account via bluetooth (where you can see BMI, but not body fat).

[Chezwick]

Fitbit should calculate it for you.  If you go online to find a BMI calculator, three sites will give you three different numbers.  Fitbit doesn't do it automatically because they want you to buy and sync the scale.  Very negative feelings about that. 

[Heybales]

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@Chezwick wrote:

Fitbit should calculate it for you.  If you go online to find a BMI calculator, three sites will give you three different numbers.  Fitbit doesn't do it automatically because they want you to buy and sync the scale.  Very negative feelings about that. 

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Just so you are aware - BMI has nothing to do with bodyfat% this topic is about.

Can't tell what post your response is to so perhaps it does make more sense - but 3 sites will give exactly the same BMI figure if you use the same height and weight. Only 1 formula for BMI.

[shipo]

There are very few BMI calculators which are even remotely accurate for many folks, the worst of course are the height and weight charts.  As far as I know, the only tried and true method of body fat calculation is the full immersion into water technique to determine how much you displace, but obviously that kind of calculation is not terribly convenient on a regular basis.

[starboyx06]

https://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

Try these two websites

https://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

[sjtimmer]

That's BMI, the body mass index. Has nothing to do with fat.

[MacroManager]

Body fat percentage is more accessible than BMI. BMI doesn't consider muscle vs fat.

[Davetopaz]

Hi Dominique. 

I came to this forum hoping to find out how Fitbit populates that body fat number.   It asked no questions about my dimensions, no pinch measurement at the waist.  It only knows my age, weight and height.   

At least Fitbit knows my activity levels for several years but any number it provides could still only be a really rough guess. 

If anyone from the technical end of Fitbit ever reads this, maybe they can weigh in on what that number represents?  

[LZeeW]

Hello @Davetopaz and welcome to the Community.  Fitbit populates that number two ways.  If you have an Aria or Aria 2 scale (both discontinued) or a different brand of body analysis scale that can link to your Fitbit account, your body fat percent will get recorded when the data transfers to your account.  There are other ways to estimate body fat (skin calipers, etc.).  If you estimate your body fat on your own, you tap on the "+" sign on your weight tile and enter the value.