The national rise in obesity have led researchers to examine how it is related to diseases like diabetes. Because the measurement of total weight gives little information as to actual body composition, methods such as bioelectrical impedance (BIA), performed underwater or by special monitors/analyzers, and measurements taken by skinfold calipers were developed. But not all methods of measuring body fat require specialized equipment. Let’s look at two others ways. They’re simple and easily done at home: 

Waist Measurement

If you are a man and your tape measure shows a waist size of over 40 inches, that’s an indication of increased health risk for diseases like common heart diseases and diabetes; in women, that would be a waist size of over 35 inches.

Waist measurement can be used together with other measurements like BIA or Body Mass Index to assess your status. Waist size is an indication of visceral fat, which is located around vital organs. Subcutaneous fat, which lies just beneath the skin, is the type of fat that is measured by skinfold calipers.

Higher amounts of visceral fat predominate in the upper half of the body, resulting in an “apple” shape. Individuals whose fat is stored predominantly below the waist, have a “pear” shape, and are thought to be at lower risk for fat-related diseases.