I bought some $25 digital calipers and I'm thinking of having DEXA or the BodyPod composition testing done so I can benchmark more accurately my starting BF%. I want to use the calipers to monitor my progress, but really want a good data point to start from, like I've done with weight and waist measurements.
Anyone have any experience with these or Hydrostatic weighing procedures? The bodypod is local and $40. The DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) facility is at a university 2 hrs away and free, and is supposed to be the new gold standard, replacing hydrostatic weighing. I've heard the Bodypod isn't as accurate. Any opinions? Thanks!

Sarah

WSJ arrived at the opposite conclusion

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117996420232112747 .html?mod=home_health_right

Surprised me too. I've always read that DEXA is supposed to be the most accurate method outside of water testing.

How interesting. Well that helps with the decision to use the BodPod locally. Thanks so much for the link, Shiny!

Sarah

Assuming you're ok with posting the info, please consider reporting back and leting us know how your caliper measurement compares with the BodPod. I've been relying on my Tanita so far, but I really want to get my body fat measured using DEXA/BodPod/water-displacment test. For some reason I've not been able to find any facilities in the DC metro area that offer such testing.

So here's my report on the Bod Pod composition testing.
We had the test done at The Citadel here in Charleston, for $40 each. You need to have a tight-fitting lycra bathing suit, they provide a swim cap. Men can borrow their lycra shorts for the test. It started with height & weight check (did I get shorter?) and then the machine is calibrated before you enter. Those of you old enough to remember Mork and Mindy--the egg looks just like the one Robin Williams had! It takes 3 minutes inside the egg (which has a big window, so no claustraphobia).

The results were interesting: I purchased digital calipers to test with originally, which our trainer used to test us. The calipers registered a 30% BF for me, and the Bod Pod registered the same 30% BF. But on my husband (who has chicken legs that must have "thrown off" the 3 site skinfold test), the calipers had registered a hard-to-believe 13%. The Bod Pod registered 18%BF for him, a more believable number.

We will do a follow up in 6 months, hoping to drop 5% in that time. It was worthwhile to have a proper benchmark from which to operate--not unlike knowing your starting weight and then measuring as you lose weight. The science is much more appealing than the simplistic BMI numbers, which don't account for how much lean v/s fat you have.

Sarah

Thanks for the report, Sarah. You're so lucky to have a Bod Pod in the area. As far as I can tell, there are no facilities in the DC Metro region that offer such testing to the public. I'm using my Tanita, so I've been able to track the relative change in my body fat percentage, but I'd really like to be able to check the scale against an accurate outside measurement.

I've used that site before, Brad, thanks for the link! My digital calipers use the Jackson-Pollock 3 skinfold formula. I think using the 7 skinfold measurements would have made my husband's test more accurate.

Shiny, you might want to contact the BodPod folks directly and make sure they haven't sold one to a nearby university or sports medicine clinic.

Sarah