[kicksziuziu]

( Please move this thread if it doesn't belong here... I'm not certain where I should make this thread )

My BMI is around 20.2 ( 49kg, 5'1)

however, my Body Fat Percentage is 33-34.
(Waist = 27.5 inches, Hips = 34.5 inches, Neck = 5.2 inches (around that number. The neck size doesn't make a significant difference ).

The average woman has a body fat percentage of 20-32. That makes me (obviously) obese. But I'm still bewildered. My waist size is normal ( the maximum is 32)and my hip size isn't in the overweight category ( the maximum is 39 ).

Also, how do I measure my hip circumference? Do I measure the widest part before the thighs or at the thighs? URGH I'M FRUSTRATED!!!

[Nola Celeste]

Your body fat percentage is not going to match that of someone who has finished growing and reached her adult height and proportions. If I remember correctly, you're still doing some growing and changing, yes? If so, you aren't going to be able to apply waist-to-hip ratios and calculate an accurate body-fat percentage.

In fact, those calculations are all rough estimates for anyone, fully-grown or not. To get a more accurate measurement, you'd need to see a doctor; no online calculation is going to give you an accurate assessment of your actual body fat. Even skin-fold tests with calipers only tell you about subcutaneous fat, not visceral fat. If it concerns you, talk to your doctor.

Keep in mind, too, that your body may carry a slightly higher fat percentage than it will once the puberty bus hits you. You'll likely grow taller--well, unless you're like me, in which case you'll still re-shape and carry your weight very differently. I remember going from "puppy fat" at 11 to pretty svelte at 13 without changing anything at all about my habits.

You should really talk to your doctor about getting an accurate measurement. He or she will also probably want to talk to you about assuming you're "obese" with a 27.5-inch waist.

[kicksziuziu]

Unfortunately, my doctor doesn't do these kinds of things :/
...
That's a strange story you just told me. Going from "puppy fat" to a nice figure? In two years? wow...

[Nola Celeste]

It isn't at all strange. It's what happens.

My waist didn't thin down--everything else expanded around it. I didn't really concern myself too much with weight pre-puberty (it hit me around elevenish, so before that I was pretty much a kid) so I didn't measure my waist, but I know that by fourteen or so, I was about a 38-26-37ish. I remember because I thought that was "fat."

I would LOVE to be that "fat" again.

You should check with your doctor and see what kind of measurements he or she can take to give you a better idea of your actual fat percentage. No measurement you take can really help you much, unfortunately, because they're all geared to people who have finished growing.

Edited to add: I should also note that my "puppy fat" got stretched over an extra couple of inches of height, so my waist may have thinned a little. But it didn't thin much; most of it was just natural reshaping as I grew boobs and hips (of which I had plenty then and have even more now. )

[zoodoo613]

Double check your neck size. If you're using it for a body fat percentage calculation, they DO use it. And that 5.2" measure is smaller than my wrist. I've never seen a neck that small.

[JEN3]

How to Measure Body Fat

http://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Body-...US-Navy-Method

[kicksziuziu]

thank you!