[MiniFluffy]

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[fatburner77]

Perhaps the technician made an error? I had to convert your height into feet so as to get a feel for your stats (silly American here )...you're about 5'5" tall and weigh 115, so your BMI is just above 19. Maybe the suggestion to increase your fat percentage stems from this result, as you're at the very low end of the normal range for BMI.
Your body fat %age seems fine - mine has been measured as low as 17% when I was in serious trainig mode and it was never suggested to me that I didn't have enough fat on me.
Really, at the end of the day, you can't even trust caliper measurements much because there is user error involved. Take the results with a grain of salt.

[xty]

I have the explanation, though I dont think it actually makes any sense.

For whatever reasons standard fat % guidelines are as follows (for women):

Body Fat Rating Scale
Exceptionally Lean 10-15% **
Very Lean 16-20% **
Lean 21-25%
Moderate 26-29%
Overfat* 30%+
*Women are borderline at 30% and clinically obese at 35% body fat.

**A lower body fat percentage for women increases chance of amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation).

These guidelines suggest that for all women the ideal range is 26-29, though I personally have a strong disagreement! Most trainers and drs would prefer to see you in the 20-24 range, but it varies a lot by person.

Im 23% at 140lbs and 5'6 and at 121 I was about 17% which was maybe slightly too low but I never had any 'underfat' symptoms such as period cessation. I dont have boobs either, so I feel like that allows me to carry a lower body fat % more safely. It is really up to you and how comfortable and healthy you feel at any level below 29%

[xty]

If they only too height and weight, without the scale doing conductivity itself...then they probably were estimating.

Much like this calculator does: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/bod...calculator.htm

Totally inaccurate!

[Wildflower]

That calculator is crazy, it put me at 17%. My scale puts me at 23% and the normal height / weight ratio puts me at 24.

I don't trust any of them, honestly!!! I've heard that the only accurate measurement of body fat is the displacement method, where they submerge you in water and somehow weigh you that way. No idea, but that's what I've heard.

We had an arm band thing when i was in school and the readings would vary based on whether we'd lifted before using it or not. It all seems a bit bogus to me, I wouldn't worry too much about it as you are probably in the healthy range, although a bit on the light side.

[Magrat]

Originally Posted by MiniFluffy

Wow, that calculator is so funny! According to it, my body fat percentage is a little under 12%! I'm pretty sure I would have lost my period if that was the case!

:P

That calculator puts me at 4.7%. Totally wrong. I'd be seriously ill if my body fat were that low.

[fitness4life]

IMO, the BMI scale was invented by a baffoon employed by the health/life insurance industry to dupe the general public into paying more for their insurance.

I, an older "athlete" weighing 125 at 5'10" have a BMI that's "too low" as well. However, my bf % is around 14-16%. Which by fitness industry standards is pretty low for a 41 year old. What does it matter? I have never not gotten a period and I can do more physical activity than the pencil pusher who invented the absurd BMI assessment scale.

On the flip side, my boyfriend is 5'11" and tips the scales at 240 lbs. He is "too high" on the BMI and when the insurance company demanded a higher premium, he explained that he was once a champion ameture body builder and is now a personal trainer. This guy is 52 and squats 522lbs. He lifts 100 lb dumbbells over his head for shoulder presses without a spotter. How did the insurance company reply? "It doesn't matter. According to the BMI you're too fat." His actual body fat is well under 20%.

I think there's something fishy going on.