If you are like me, you may have noticed that you look fine in the mirror or the number on your scale hasn't gone up too much in the past few weeks. But why can't the pant size I wore a month ago fit the same way it did then? Have the stores changed their sizing policies? This invariably leads to frustration and embarrassment.
Now that obesity has been identified as a serious health issue among all age groups, people have taken a much more aggressive position about getting and keeping in shape. The unfortunately reality about obesity is that it doesn't just affect children or senior-management types. It affects us all. But to what extent? How close are we to that danger zone where body fat threatens our lifestyle and, possibly, our life?
Standing on a scale and trending your body weight is a great start, but weight doesn't have a direct correlation to body fat. Theoretically, even slender people might look fine in the mirror or on the scale, but their health can just as easily be at risk as someone who is visibly overweight. It's what is inside that counts (and not in a good way); fat as a percentage of body weight is the true killer.
The way to properly measure body fat is with a body fat monitor. This device can tell us what we need to know.
A body fat monitor measures body fat without the help of a doctor or specialist. In very general terms, it analyzes the composition of our body by calculating biometric impedance. As sophisticated as it sounds, the device is actually quite easy to use.
A body fat monitor works by sending an electrical signal through your body and measuring the resistance. Just as it is easier to cut through water than through jello, the electrical signal knows that people with high fat and muscle content have higher body water content as well. Knowing this, the monitor measures total body water and then calculates the body's fat-free mass. Finally, it comes up with an approximate body fat figure by calculating the difference while taking into account your body weight.
Unfortunately, picking a body fat monitor has become a difficult task. There are plenty on the market and prices range from less than $30 to just over $750. Luckily, almost all of them are extremely easy to use, so with some basic training even your children can start taking an interest in their body fat measurements.
The basic features you should consider are whether your body fat monitor can make simple calculations like daily caloric intake and perform basic weight monitoring calculations. You should also look for a model that comes with the option of changing settings (e.g. from child to adult, from athletic to moderately athletic to non-athletic, and so on). While seemingly unimportant when you get started, these features can make a difference in how well the monitor performs over a longer period of time, particularly as your habits shift (our activity levels tend to change over time). As well, the more accurate a reading is, the more it will help you remain focused with your longer-term fitness objectives.
As well, you should look for storage capabilities. A monitor that can save your readings (especially with multiple users) allows you to keep track of your readings without the need of manual record keeping or trending-lining. This may be especially handy for the active family who may not always have time to write down their measurements.
Unfortunately, a body fat monitor only provides a reading. The active ingredient in becoming healthier is the user (us). By keeping track of our readings on a daily basis, we are not only better equipped to stay on track with our fitness goals, but by keeping us focused on obesity, a body fat monitor might actually help us avoid that frustration when trying on a pair of pants that really should fit.
Now that obesity has been identified as a serious health issue among all age groups, people have taken a much more aggressive position about getting and keeping in shape. The unfortunately reality about obesity is that it doesn't just affect children or senior-management types. It affects us all. But to what extent? How close are we to that danger zone where body fat threatens our lifestyle and, possibly, our life?
Standing on a scale and trending your body weight is a great start, but weight doesn't have a direct correlation to body fat. Theoretically, even slender people might look fine in the mirror or on the scale, but their health can just as easily be at risk as someone who is visibly overweight. It's what is inside that counts (and not in a good way); fat as a percentage of body weight is the true killer.
The way to properly measure body fat is with a body fat monitor. This device can tell us what we need to know.
A body fat monitor measures body fat without the help of a doctor or specialist. In very general terms, it analyzes the composition of our body by calculating biometric impedance. As sophisticated as it sounds, the device is actually quite easy to use.
A body fat monitor works by sending an electrical signal through your body and measuring the resistance. Just as it is easier to cut through water than through jello, the electrical signal knows that people with high fat and muscle content have higher body water content as well. Knowing this, the monitor measures total body water and then calculates the body's fat-free mass. Finally, it comes up with an approximate body fat figure by calculating the difference while taking into account your body weight.
Unfortunately, picking a body fat monitor has become a difficult task. There are plenty on the market and prices range from less than $30 to just over $750. Luckily, almost all of them are extremely easy to use, so with some basic training even your children can start taking an interest in their body fat measurements.
The basic features you should consider are whether your body fat monitor can make simple calculations like daily caloric intake and perform basic weight monitoring calculations. You should also look for a model that comes with the option of changing settings (e.g. from child to adult, from athletic to moderately athletic to non-athletic, and so on). While seemingly unimportant when you get started, these features can make a difference in how well the monitor performs over a longer period of time, particularly as your habits shift (our activity levels tend to change over time). As well, the more accurate a reading is, the more it will help you remain focused with your longer-term fitness objectives.
As well, you should look for storage capabilities. A monitor that can save your readings (especially with multiple users) allows you to keep track of your readings without the need of manual record keeping or trending-lining. This may be especially handy for the active family who may not always have time to write down their measurements.
Unfortunately, a body fat monitor only provides a reading. The active ingredient in becoming healthier is the user (us). By keeping track of our readings on a daily basis, we are not only better equipped to stay on track with our fitness goals, but by keeping us focused on obesity, a body fat monitor might actually help us avoid that frustration when trying on a pair of pants that really should fit.
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