Ask HN: How do you stay healthy?

Re:Ask HN: How do you stay healthy? by streety on Friday June 27, 2008 @08:26AM (#229681)

Unless you expect your height to change is there really any point to tracking your BMI in addition to your weight? Wouldn't your % body fat be better?

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Re:Ask HN: How do you stay healthy? by LKM on Friday June 27, 2008 @08:54AM (#229701)

Yes, tracking body fat would definitely be better; alas, there is no simply, videogame-like way to keep track of body fat (that I know of).

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Re:Ask HN: How do you stay healthy? by dhs on Friday June 27, 2008 @09:14AM (#229713)

The US Navy uses the following equation to determine the percentage of body fat:

%Fat=495/(1.0324-.19077(log(abdomen-neck))+.15456(log(height)))-450

Appearently they did a study on how precise it is, "Comparison of Circumference-and Skinfold-Based Body Fat Estimation Equations", where they compared their formula with several other methods for body fat estimation, against a baseline set by hydrostatic weighting. I couldn't find the full text online (at least not for free), but the abstract is here:

http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPr...

Quote: "For men, the Navy equation was the best predictor of body fat determined by hydrostatic weighing."

So all you need to track your body fat is a measuring tape plus a pen and a pad. That's too much of an effort for me, though, so I use one of the web-based calculators, e.g.

http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/body-fat-percentage-calcu...

(you need to allow JS to use it).

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Re:Ask HN: How do you stay healthy? by LKM on Monday June 30, 2008 @03:34AM (#231794)

Interesting, thanks!

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