What is your body fat%? – Find out in Los Angeles

Body Fat Test is a mobile, hydrostatic body fat test clinic that I have used in Southern California.  They partner with various health clubs, hospitals, corporations and wellness centers to bring their truck on site to give convenient access to the hydrostatic weighing tank.  This is the most accurate way of tracking your body composition.  Check out their calendar to find out when they are coming to a facility near you in Los Angeles or other cities around the US.

Here are some FAQ’s from the BodyFatTest.com site.

Isn’t Body Composition Genetic?

While some aspects of your body composition are based on heredity (such as where you tend to store excess fat), for the majority of the population Percent Body Fat is related to lifestyle. After about age 16, changes in body fat are due to changes in fat cell size not number. These cells expand (or shrink) to accommodate excess calorie storage.

How Much Is Too Much?

Just as too little body fat can create some pretty devastating physiological complications, too much body fat can have equally harmful effects. Once men creep up over 25% and women over 32% fat, there is a dramatic correlation with illness and disease. In fact, body composition has been used more and more to make future predictions about health and disease in individuals.

Health Risks Associated With Too Much Body Fat Include The Following:

• increased blood pressure

• increased total cholesterol level

• increased LDL (bad) cholesterol

• increased risk of cardiac problems

• increased risk of Diabetes

• hardening of the arteries

• aggravation of osteoarthritis

• promotes blood clots and varicose veins

• GI disorders

• increased predisposition to some cancers

• decreased reaction time

• reduced balance and coordination

• increased susceptibility to infections

• decreased circulation

How Low Is Too Low?

Athletes can take this “low body fat in the name of improved performance” idea too far. While the average body fat percent in the United States and Europe is increasing, low body fat percent is clearly a health problem. The female athlete triad of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis is a relatively new phenomenon. Women athletes who strive for better performance and lower body weight, often find themselves caught in a negative spiral that actually leads to decreased performance and health risks. Eating disorders require special attention and professional assistance. There have even been steps taken by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to keep wrestlers from going too far when it comes to ‘making weight’, or reducing their weight to qualify for a lower wrestling weight class.

What Should Your Body Fat % Be?

Well, this is a loaded question, and the answer reflects the controversy surrounding the issue. A better question might be, “What is your ideal weight? Body fat percent varies considerably for men and women, for age and culture for those involved in different sports activities, and even for different geographic location. However, there are some ’standards.’ The minimum percent body fat considered safe and acceptable for good health is 5% for males and 12% for females. The average adult body fat is closer to 15%-18% for men and 22%-25% for women.