skinfold measurements

A measurement of a fold of body tissue that includes a double layer of skin and underlying fatty tissue, but no muscle. Usually the measurements are taken with special calipers by holding a fold of tissue with the left thumb and index finger at specific sites on the body (figure 62). Such measurements (for instance on the back of the arm, below the scapula, and on the calf) are used to estimate the amount of fat in the body. They may also be used to monitor fat losses. Skinfold measurements should decrease as total body fat is lost.

Figure 62 Skinfold measurements: measuring the thickness of the skin on the top of the thigh to estimate body fat

A widely applied technique for estimating body density, fat-free mass, and relative body fat. Special calipers are used to measure the thickness of a double layer of skin and its underlying adipose tissue (but not muscle) held by the left thumb and index finger at specific points on the body (e.g. on the back of the arm and below the scapula). Skinfold thicknesses increase with increasing amounts of fat and multiple skinfold measurements are used in equations to give good estimates of body composition (correlations range from about 0.90 to 0.96).