Body Fat Percentage Guide: Calculation, Measurement & Goals

Determining your optimal body fat percentage is essential for reaching fitness goals. Learn how to measure body fat using calipers or scales and understand the difference between burning fat and carbohydrates.

Electronic floor scale on a wooden background

How Do Body Fat Scales Work & Are They Accurate?

Published Jul,18 2017 | By Leslie Truex

Although a scale is a useful tool in measuring weight loss, it is limited to evaluating only one component: weight. When it comes to health risks related to being overweight, fat is the culprit. Measuring body fat percentage is a better indicator of how well your diet and exercise program is working.

Leslie Truex has been telecommuting and freelancing since 1994. She wrote the "The Work-At-Home Success Bible" and is a career/business and writing instructor at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Truex has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Willamette University and a Master of Social Work from California State University-Sacramento. She has been an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America certified fitness instructor since 2001.