Does excess skin affect body fat percentage readings?

Just wondering.  I know the reading is typically taken on the arm.  My arm is getting muscular but to get to that you have to go through a LOT of skin.  Just wondering if there is a different place to take the reading (although any place on my body would be about the same) or if it even matters.

Does anyone know?

Very good question Nik. The skin thing wasn't something I ever thought about when measuring body fat. What about one of those scales to measure body fat?
I did find this, but pretty sure skin could still play a role...
http://www.wikihow.com/Measure-Body-Fat-Using-the-US-Navy-Me thod
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which can sometimes be found at health clubs and involves attaching electrodes to the hands and feet or standing on electrode pads, sends a small electric signal through the body to compute the composition of body fat and muscle mass. I am wondering if this BIA would be worth checking into, it doesn't seem that it would be very expensive. You reckon loose skin counts as fat?

The electrode one is what I typically use.  I'm thinking of switching to a manual one (once the Y gets the thingie...some past trainer apparently stole the one they had?) but not sure what's what with the whole reading.  I know from my doctor that there is fat tissue that sticks with the skin and that is hard to get rid of so that's there. 

But the electrodes basically send a signal and use the measure of how long it takes to come back to calculate body fat.  That's what got me to wondering.

I don't know about skin, but my endo told me to take those things with a grain of salt. He said medications can affect the reading as can hydration/dehydration levels.. and well, just about everything else. I was freaked out when I was doing Atkins (my most successful pre-surgery diet). I lost 90 pounds and worked out pretty vigorously at least 3-4 times a week and the thing kept saying my fat was going up! Turns out it was probably because I was taking actos, which redistributes body fat closer to the surface and probably messed up the signal. The endo told me to just base my judgements on how I felt and the toning that I could see happening in my body.
-Brandy

Good question.  I go and see my physical Trainer today at the WLS clinic.  I will report back tomorrow.

Asia

My understanding is that skin is counted as part of your "lean body mass" -- along with bone and other tissues.  The electronic scale that you stand on or that you hold in your hands measure the fat only. 

I bought the Omron Body Fat Analyzer.
http://pamtremble.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-new-body-fat-gadge t.html

Most gyms and hospitals are getting away from the manual method of measuring body fat (calipers) because of the high level of human error.  Also, with excess skin like we have, calipers would be highly inaccurate.

The most accurate way to measure body fat is:

1) DEXA Scan -- the machine can apparently spit out the body fat percentage as it's measuring bone density.  Not an economical way to get your body fat measured, but if you're having a bone density scan anyway, it's the most accurate method, apparently.

2) Water Tank -- the water tank method is the next most accurate method ... but obviously not readily availble and not very cost effective.

After I bought my Omron I found out that most hospitals and fitness centers are using this brand of analyzer to get measurements and that in third party tests it has proven to be very accurate.  I paid about $35 for mine at www.colonialmedical.com but I've also seen it on Amazon for around the same price.

I measure my own body fat percentage each Tuesday when I do my weigh-in.  There are times of the day when you get the most accurate reading.... best time is right outta bed before you have anything to eat or drink.  Since reading up on body fat percentage... I am now using THAT number as a gage for my goal weight instead of the BMI scale.  I am shooting for a 24% body fat, which puts me in the "Fitness" category for women.  Which means that  about 160 on the scale should get me to 24%.

I should also mention that these electrode type scales don't work well with morbidly obese folks.  They are best used once you get down closer to your goal weight.

Shoot Terri R. a PM and ask her about the water tank body fat method. She's had several taken and I believe it's the most accurate in body fat analysis. Girls got something like 15% body fat on her. She's so awesome.