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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Diversity takes center stage at OSF ... Don't expect to get 'In-N-Out' ... Man accused of giving drugs to girl, then assaulting her ... Diversity takes center stage at OSF ... Don't expect to get 'In-N-Out' ... Man accused of giving drugs to girl, then assaulting her ... Hydrostatic weighing is one way to measure body fat By JENNIFER GREER,for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By JENNIFER GREER,for the Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 28, 2004 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:07 AM By JENNIFER GREER,for the Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 28, 2004 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:07 AM » Social News The water is warm. David Ingalls exhales as much air as he can from his lungs and lowers himself until he's completely under water in a 3-foot-by-6-foot tank, legs crossed. He uses handles on the tank's sides to hold his body under the water's surface and waits ' one ... two ... three seconds. Ingalls' goal: to find out how much of his body is made of fat. The 53-year-old attorney from Ashland, a serious cyclist, doesn't have a problem with excess fat ' the measurement, in fact, shows it makes up 12.7 percent of his body composition, less than the 15 percent considered ideal for a man. But he, like many people, likes to keep tabs on how well his body is functioning. I ride several thousand miles a year, said Ingalls. I wanted to see what effect that was having on my body. I took the test two years ago and the measurements were almost the same. The underwater measurements, known as hydrostatic weighing, are among several methods the fitness-inclined can use to find that number. Other common measurement methods include skinfold tests and circumference measurements of the arms, legs and waist. — For athletes and people starting a weight-loss program, checking body composition can be beneficial, especially since excess fat is a precursor to many health problems, said Jenny Slawta, assistant professor of physical education at Southern Oregon University, where Ingalls' body fat was measured. Overweight is linked to heart disease, diabetes and recently Alzheimer's, Slawta said. Your body composition can tell you your nutritional status and can indicate your level of fitness. Fat is necessary for normal physiological function, according to Slawta. But stored fat accumulates in organs and under the skin and in excess leads to health problems that are predominant in Americans. What's too much? Men and women store fat differently. Women need specific fats for hormone activity and reproduction. The average male has 25 percent body fat, with 15 being optimal, Slawta said, while the average female body is 35 percent fat, with 25 percent being optimal. All the methods of fat measurement attempt to determine the ratio of lean body mass ' bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and water ' to fat, but they take different routes to finding the number. Clients at health clubs with certified fitness trainers, for example, will often encounter skinfold tests. Trainers use calipers to pinch skin at two points on the arm, just below the shoulder blade and just above the hip bone to determine body fat, said Alan Zahniser, a fitness trainer at 24 Hour Fitness in Medford. You just pinch the skin from four areas of the body, add the measurements and use an age chart to determine the percentage of body fat, Zahniser said. The test is most accurate, noted Slawta, when it is accompanied by appropriate calculations. There are over 100 variations to use when calculating with the skinfold method ' for instance, using a chart for menopausal women over the age of 60, she said. There are different charts for many variations and most of the time only a standard male- female age chart is used. Slawta said underwater weighing is one of the most accurate ways to measure body fat, with an error rate of 2-4 percent. Some people find the test unnerving, but not Ingalls. The water was warm and Jenny explained everything, he said. She tested me three or four times to get an accurate reading. I wanted to stay in the tank when I was done. Jennifer Greer is a free-lance writer living in Medford.E-mail her at [email protected]. By JENNIFER GREER,for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By JENNIFER GREER,for the Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 28, 2004 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 16, 2011 at 10:07 AM » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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