Which device is used to measure body fat percentage by skinfold measurement?

Which device is used to measure body fat percentage by skinfold measurement?

• A. Caliper
• B. Skinfold gauge
• C. Bioelectrical impedance analyzer
• D. Tape measure

Answer: (A)

Skinfold measurement estimates body fat by assessing the thickness of subcutaneous fat at specific sites. The instrument used is a caliper, the standard tool for this method. You pinch a small fold of skin and underlying fat, place the caliper jaws perpendicular to the fold, and read the thickness in millimeters after a brief pause. Those measurements, taken at several sites, are plugged into established equations to estimate body density and then body fat percentage. This approach directly targets fat beneath the skin, which is what the measurements reflect. A tape measure measures body girth or circumference, not fat thickness. A bioelectrical impedance analyzer estimates body fat by electrical conductivity through body tissues, not by pinch thickness. The term skinfold gauge can be used in some contexts, but the caliper is the standard device associated with skinfold measurements.

Skinfold measurement estimates body fat by assessing the thickness of subcutaneous fat at specific sites. The instrument used is a caliper, the standard tool for this method. You pinch a small fold of skin and underlying fat, place the caliper jaws perpendicular to the fold, and read the thickness in millimeters after a brief pause. Those measurements, taken at several sites, are plugged into established equations to estimate body density and then body fat percentage. This approach directly targets fat beneath the skin, which is what the measurements reflect.

A tape measure measures body girth or circumference, not fat thickness. A bioelectrical impedance analyzer estimates body fat by electrical conductivity through body tissues, not by pinch thickness. The term skinfold gauge can be used in some contexts, but the caliper is the standard device associated with skinfold measurements.