GB2176323A

GB2176323A - Electronic body fat calculator device

Info

Publication number: GB2176323A
Application number: GB08514361A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Hayes; Derrick Hayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-06-06
Filing date: 1985-06-06
Publication date: 1986-12-17
Also published as: GB8514361D0

Abstract

The device is one with which the user can interact in response to questions generated by the device, is simple to use, and allows an individual to compute his or her own body fat percentage. The device has an alphanumeric display, a keyboard for entering input data and instructions, a processor unit for carrying out calculations and providing output data, a non-volatile memory for storage of look-up tables of reference data, algorithms and questions/instructions, and a programmable memory for storing input and output data. By comparison of the user's calculated body fat and a preferred body fat value obtained from a stored look-up table the device can display both the preferred value and an indication of how much weight should be lost to reduce the level of over-fatness to a preferred level. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electronic body fat calculator device The present invention relates to an electronic body fat calculator device and to a method of assessing body fat using such a device.

Various methods for determining body fat are known in the art. Correlation charts between height/weight and body fat have been used. Mechanical and electronic skinfold calipers have been utilised to measure skinfold thickness at selected body sites (e.g. chest, abdomen, thigh, triceps and supra-iliac); the body fat may be calculated from these measurements using known formulae.

Calculations may be made manually on a conventional calculator, or a device such as an electronic caliper may be pre-programmed to perform necessary calculations directly on obtained measurements.

Simple height and weight charts do not usually provide an accurate body fat value. Reliable skinfold measurements are difficult to obtain, especially when the caliper user is measuring his or her own body.

The present invention provides a device with which the user can interact in response to questions generated by the device and which is simple in use and allows an individual to compute his or her own body fat percentage.

The device of the invention has an alphanumeric display, a keyboard for keyentering input data and instructions, a simple processor unit for carrying out calculations and providing output data, a non-volatile memory for storage of look-up tables of reference data, algorithms and questions/instructions, and a programmable memory for storing input and output data.

By comparison of the users calculated body fat and a preferred body fat value obtained from a stored look-up table the device can display both the preferred value and an indication of how much weight should be lost to reduce the level of over-fatness to a preferred level.

In a method of using the invention a small, hand held device displays questions in alphanumeric form. In reply the user will keyenter data about themself. The electronics within the device will calculate and subsequently display the person's percentage body fat, indicate a preferred level for that person dependent upon age and sex and suggest how much weight should be lost to reduce the level of over-fatness to a preferred level. Calculated data can be stored in the device, upto a certain predetermined maximum number of sets of data, so that trends with time can be established.

The invention is further described by way of example only in the accompanying Fig. 1 which is a diagram of interactions. In this example the input data will be sex, age, height, weight and a number of simple measurements of body dimensions (circumference of arm or calf circumference and wrist diameter).

Claims

1. An electronic body fat calculator device having means programmed (a) to process input body data to calculate a body fat value and (b) to compare said body fat value with a preferred value stored in a look-up table, and having means for providing output data indicating (a) said body fat value and (b) a weight loss required to reduce over fatness to a preferred level.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which a fat-free mass, a percentage body fat and a required weight loss are calculated, and in which output data indicates a percentage fat, a preferred percentage fat and a required weight loss.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2 in which input body data includes sex, age, height, weight and body dimensions.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said body dimensions are chosen from wrist diameter, upper arm circumference, and calf circumference.

5. A device according to any preceding claim comprising (a) an alphanumeric display, (b) a keyboard for key entering input body data and commands, (c) a programmed processor for requesting instructions, carrying out calculations and providing output data, (a) a non-volatile memory for storing look-up tables of reference data, and (e) a programmable memory for storing input and output data.

6. An electronic body fat calculator device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1.