Originally Posted by BradG

That's crap. It's not just curiosity. People are overly-concerned with this. There a million messages out ont he boards about it--"what the most accurate way for me to tell..." dah dah dah....a lot of people are obsessed with that.

And it's not about being healthy. Sure body fat has something to do with it, but people seem to think they have to micro manage it to 1/2 and 1/4 percents! And after you get under 15 or so (I'm just pulling that # out of the air), how much "healthier" are you gonna get?

Here's what I think: It's all a bunch of psycho-competitve crap. Hear me out: people can't compare weight. If I'm 6'2 and weigh 200# I may be in better or worse "shape" than a 170# man. You can't compare lifting stats: a 250# guy can probably lift more than a 190# guy if they are more or less int he same "shape". So what's left? Body fat % seems to be the only absolute, that can apply to anyone, whether 5' or 6'7 or 120# or 245#.

And unless you are a competitive (as in competing in meets) bodybuilder, I see no reason to be hyper-concerned with this stat.

I do understand that you need to be cognizant of your approximate body fat for health reasons. But, damn, just look in the mirror. If you think you look fat, you are! I doubt you'd say: "Jeez I look a little flabby, but I just measured my bf% and it was 15, so I'm okay."