An unusual question about health and fitness (BF% more specifically)?

[HashtagFaceGram]

Recently I was reading an article which was talking about "body fat percentage" and how skinny people can have a high BF%. According to the article, body fat percentage has a major link with overall health and immunity. So being that I"m not the most avid exerciser and my diet is OK, but not great I was wondering if there are any ways to check BF% without the fancy tools or expensive tests. I would really like to know. Are there any indicators of a high body fat percentage that you can see if you just look in the mirror? Are there any non expensive ways to at least get a general idea? I have always been interested in health and fitness and though I am healthy in other ways I want to ensure I have a healthy body composition as well :)
I have seen other people ask questions on here with pics of their body for objective opinions. I do not want to/won't do that. Are there any tests which you can do on your own to check. Or signs to watch out for?
I greatly appreciate all answers. I know this is a weird question, but hopefully someone will know what I am talking about :)

[BertMacklinFBI]

the only way to tell for sure is to get measured either by a scale or with calipers. im sure you can get free measurements if you ask a gym like 24 hour fitness, just say you are interested in joining but you want to know your stats first, then they'll most likely measure you up for free.

they take measurements from your back, front abdominal, triceps, and I think 1 more, so you can't really look in the mirror and get an accurate reading, the only thing you would be able to tell yourself is if you are obviously fat or not.

[HashtagFaceGram]

I'm not obviously fat. I don't really have a gym close by to go to :/
I guess I could just start working out and eating better. That way regardless of what my body fat percentage is now it will only get lower over time. I don't think there's an advantage to knowing your BF% as opposed to not knowing it. Knowing it doesn't make it any lower.
I would still like a general idea though. Can I use calipers myself?

[HashtagFaceGram]

Also, I am not currently interested in joining a gym so I don't think they'll do the test if I'm not going to join the gym.

[BertMacklinFBI]

eating clean and a decent exercise routine is all you'll need to remain healthy. you really don't need to know your stats, just look in the mirror every now and then, check and see how your clothes fit you, monitor your conditioning and see if its improving each time.

you can't use calipers on yourself, you need 1 hand to pinch your fat and the other to brace the calipers onto your fat, you can do your front abdominal but not your back or your triceps so technically you can't measure yourself.

[BertMacklinFBI]

they might do it for free, regardless you only tell them you are interested in joining in order to get the test if they won't do it for free.

[HashtagFaceGram]

Alright, I guess I'll just use a mirror and start exercising and improving my diet. That way even if I'm not healthy now I will be healthy in the long term. That's probably what people should do instead of getting caught up on numbers- they should just start working out and eating healthy which guarantees they will become healthier.
Doesn't sound like calipers would be the best option in my case then.
I'm skinny with not much muscle so I'll be able to tell fairly easily if my body is improving. I can always take pics and just keep them in a spot where only I can see them I suppose

[HashtagFaceGram]

I'll just use the mirror test. It sounds sufficient for my needs

[BertMacklinFBI]

thanks d00d

[HashtagFaceGram]

No problem. You gave a very helpful answer so I thought you deserved it. Thank YOU for the insightful response :)

[meatballs21]

It would be great to see a link to this article.

Visual indicators explained:
www.ruled.me/.../

Calculating:
www.healthstatus.com/.../body-fat-percentage-calculator

My gym calculated it for me with measurements and a special scale that uses an electrical current.

[HashtagFaceGram]

I've seen some of those scales, but I've heard the accuracy is a mixed bag.
It looks as though I am around 15% body fat. Apparently 15% body fat is considered healthy. But that's only because I don't have much fat, it doesn't change the fact that I don't have much muscle. So I'll still focus on building muscle and gaining weight (i'm underweight)

[meatballs21]

Guessing from looking at a picture is not really accurate - some of those guys are quite muscular despite their high body fat percentage.

[HashtagFaceGram]

The calculator said so as well though

[ScruffyNerfHerder]

Buy a pair of calipers (you can afford $10) and learn to use it. I measure in four places on my own, no need to pay for testing. That said, it takes a bit to be sure you're taking accurate measurements, so it may still be worth having it done professionally the first time.

Yes, you can look skinny but still be obese. Quite simply, a person like that barely has any muscles and is largely all fatty tissue.

[HashtagFaceGram]

Could you give me an example of what that would look like? Like link a picture or something, because I'm trying to picture it but I'm having trouble. The skinny-obese condition you mentioned I mean

[ScruffyNerfHerder]

Google image search "skinny fat" and take a look about, you'll get the idea really quick.

[HashtagFaceGram]

I do look a bit like that, but not to that degree. I guess my body fat percentage is somewhat high, but I don't think I am obese.

[ScruffyNerfHerder]

Only way to know for sure is to test it. Odds are that it's higher than you may care to think if you aren't physically active (but not yet high enough to look really unhealthy at a quick glance). It would be good to find out, so you don't run into health problems sometime later.

[HashtagFaceGram]

I think I'll just start exercising and diet. That way it won't matter what it is. :)
TBH, I'd rather not know. It isn't beneficial to your health if you know the number. Either way I would be exercising and dieting, so I'll just do that as I would anyways

[kheserthorpe]

What's your waist?

[HashtagFaceGram]

29-30 inches

[kheserthorpe]

You're okay.

[HashtagFaceGram]

Yeah, my waist is fairly small

[kheserthorpe]

If your waist is small it's extremely unlikely you have an overweight-related health issue.

But I absolutely encourage you to start working out.

[HashtagFaceGram]

Definitely I'm going to start doing that