Which device is used to estimate body fat percentage via skinfold measurement?

Which device is used to estimate body fat percentage via skinfold measurement?

• A. Caliper
• B. Scale
• C. Tape measure
• D. Thermometer

Answer: (A)

Calipers measure skinfold thickness, which is used to estimate body fat percentage because the amount of fat just under the skin tends to reflect overall body fat. By pinching a small fold of skin and measuring its thickness in millimeters at specific sites, these numbers are plugged into equations that estimate body density and then fat percentage. Accuracy improves when the technique is standardized, sites are chosen consistently, and multiple measurements are averaged. The other tools don’t estimate fat this way. A scale measures total body weight, not fat percentage. A tape measure records circumferences or girth but doesn’t assess the thickness of skinfolds. A thermometer measures temperature, which isn’t related to body fat estimation.

Calipers measure skinfold thickness, which is used to estimate body fat percentage because the amount of fat just under the skin tends to reflect overall body fat. By pinching a small fold of skin and measuring its thickness in millimeters at specific sites, these numbers are plugged into equations that estimate body density and then fat percentage. Accuracy improves when the technique is standardized, sites are chosen consistently, and multiple measurements are averaged.

The other tools don’t estimate fat this way. A scale measures total body weight, not fat percentage. A tape measure records circumferences or girth but doesn’t assess the thickness of skinfolds. A thermometer measures temperature, which isn’t related to body fat estimation.