The Calipometry is a method for calculating the body fat by measuring of certain skinfolds. According to the calculation method the thickness of the subcutaneous fatty tissue of certain body points is determined. There is a 3-folds or a 7-folds method, for example, which measures the thickness of 3 or 7 skinfolds, respectively.
The measurement takes place with a caliper. You take an 5 to 7 cm thick skinfold between thumb and forefinger and press the caliper around it until you hear the distinct click of the pressure indicator.
You cant calculate the total body fat by measuring the thickness of skinfolds. But since most of the fat tissue is located underneath the skin, you get the most substantial body fat.
It is important to check the skinfolds repeatingly. To avoid little measurement errors it is a good method to measure the skinfolds several times and calculate the average.
By using the formula of Jackson and Polock [Jackson/Pollock, 1978] the body fat is calculated out of all skinfolds. Hereby age and gender are also considered.
