Skinfold thickness measurements: Many experts use this simple method to determine body composition.However, these DEXA machines have limitations and the technology that is widely used is unable to measure the bones in people who weigh 300 pounds or more or who are taller than 6 feet. All recommendations are from the Institute of Medicine, with the exception of underweight women. If you’re pregnant with triplets or more, talk to your health care provider about your weight gain goals. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness. Ancel Keys, a physiology professor, used Quetelet's equation as part of a 1972 published report on obesity. Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy from the Institute of Medicine. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a persons weight divided by the square of height. Only in the last half century has the BMI been used as a means to determine body-fat percentage. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA): This is an x-ray scan that measures a person's bones (specifically their mineral density and bone loss) to calculate the possibilities of developing osteoporosis. The equation was originally created by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian, in 1832 as a method to define the standard proportions of the human build.Some body fat scales for home use employ this method of measurement. While readings can be affected by hydration level and other factors, they provide fairly accurate results over time.

Bioelectrical impedance: This common method of assessing body fat percentage determines total body weight, the percent and amount of body fat, muscle mass, water, and even bone mass.

Bmi calculator in women