Taking Measurements

Looking at yourself, naked in the mirror, tells you everything you need to know about your physical state, but if you want more details, you can use the methods below.

Scale weight is the least important part of the equation, when it comes to metabolic health. To get a full picture of what your metabolic state is, it's better to consider other, more important, factors like body fat percentage, body mass index, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and skin fold testing. Knowing these, will give you a more detailed analysis of what is going on with your body, as body fat, not weight, is what perpetuates metabolic conditions.

Remember to not rely on any one measurement. Try them all, to avoid inaccuracies.

1. Calculating Body Fat Percentage

Not everyone has access to a DEXA scan or a body fat scale. Online body fat calculators are known for being inaccurate. For this reason, oftentimes, a visual chart is more accurate, for calculating body fat percentage, than online calculators. For many, it has been as accurate as a body fat scale. Use this chart to help you calculate your body fat.

The more body fat you have, the more your metabolic health is in jeopardy. Men can have very little body fat, close to zero, and be perfectly healthy. A man's body was made for leanness.

Women, on the other hand, have hormones that were designed to detect body fat and respond adversely when it dips too low. This can produce serious metabolic effects. For this reason, women should avoid going below 20% body fat, but they should also avoid going over 35%. Estrogen protects women from visceral fat accumulation, so the older you are, the less you want to reach that 35% limit.

2. Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)

You can calculate your BMI here. Obesity is defined by a BMI greater than 30, for both males and females.

Keep in mind that athletes, body builders and certain body shapes can create an inaccurate BMI result of obese, when in fact, that's not the case. The average person should not have this issue.

3. Calculating Waist Circumference

Waist circumference is the best predictor of metabolic health, but you will never have this measurement taken at your doctor's office. Why not?

Because it is difficult to determine just where the measurement should be taken on the body. If it's taken too far up or down, it can mean the difference between a normal or obese result. Notice where the tape measure sits on this photo:

There are ways of taken this measurement that can lower the risk of inaccurate results.

• Take your measurements while fasting, preferably upon waking. Bloat from food or water intake can skew your results, as the stomach sits right next to the liver.
• If you are visibly overweight, have excess skin or a lot of subcutaneous fat, it can cause your belly button to sit lower than it would normally if you had a flat stomach. In this case, you want to feel for the end of your ribcage and the beginning of your hip bone. The measurement should be taken at the gap between where these two bones meet, because that is where the liver sits.
• Do not use a metal tape measure. It will not sit flat against your body and will produce inaccurate results. Use a flexible tape measure like a tailor would.

Measuring:

• Use the top of your hip bone, as a guide, then bring the tape measure all the way around your body, level with your belly button.
• Make sure it's not too tight and that it's straight, even at the back. Don't hold your breath while measuring.
• Check the number on the tape measure right after you exhale.

Abdominal obesity is defined as a waist circumference over 40 inches for males and 35 inches for females.

4. Waist To Hip Ratio

This is a great way to know if you still have abdominal obesity, especially if you are not very overweight.

Because there are two measurements to take, it can be a little more confusing, for some, but it's much more accurate than BMI, as it takes your body shape into consideration.

A waist to hip ratio is calculated by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For example, a person with a 30″ waist and 38″ hips has a waist to hip ratio of about 0.78.

• Measure your waist as described above.
• Measure your hips by starting at one hip, then bring the tape measure all the way around your body, making sure the tape is over the largest part of your buttocks.

Obesity is defined as a waist to hip ratio above 0.90 for males and above 0.85 for females.