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I am in the military and have to maintain a certain weight for my height. The commander of my unit gives us the choice of using skin calipers to measure skinfold or calculating body mass index (BMI). Which is a better measure of body fat?

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Caliper measurements depend on the skill of the measurer and type of caliper used. Fluid retention can affect the results. Eating pizza and drinking beer the night before skinfold measurements is not advised.


BMI can be a poor measure of body fat because it does not differentiate bone and muscle mass from fat mass. BMI can wrongly classify people as obese if they have above average bone and muscle mass. If you are muscular, caliper measurements may be more accurate.

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