Yes. There is way to perform a quick assessment of body fat in privacy and comfort of your home. The skin fold test or pinch test, as it is called involves a quick few steps. Grasp the skin on a suitable region of the body, such as tummy, flanks, upper arm etc. Do not pinch any muscle, just the skin and fat with the use of your thumb and index finger. Measure the thickness of the pinched skin with a ruler. This thickness is indicative of the amount of superficial or subcutaneous fat. The more the thickness, the more you are an ideal candidate for liposuction.



  • If the thickness is about 3/4th of an inch or less, you have about 14% body fat, which is ideal for both sexes.
  • If the thickness is about an inch, you are closer to 18% body fat, which is a bit high for a man but ideal for a woman.
  • If the thickness is more than an inch, it indicates a higher percentage of body fat.