What is more accurate, the tape test or the 'Bod Pod'?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 05:25:41 -0500

I'd like to hear some feedback on this. Had a discussion about body composition and the debate was which is more accurate, the tape test or the bod pod at the wellness center.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2013 7:58 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 07:58:49 -0500

I hardly believe the tape test to be accurate in the slightest degree. As long as you are proportionately overweight (Big belly, big neck) you can stay within the limits prescribed in 600-9. You end up looking unprofessional in uniform and it degrades the overall appearance of the Army.

Before my brother joined the Army, he was a body builder. He busted the scales for his screening weight. MEPS taped him and informed him he was over the allowed body fat percentage. He went to the doctor and had an official BMI done and was sitting at 11%. They wavered him to join with that documentation.

It's inaccurate because it doesn't account for various body types. I think it continues to be used because it's faster than the alternatives, even if it has a larger margin of error.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2013 8:01 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 08:01:26 -0500

I knew a veteran in the missile command (SAC) and he was in the hospital to lose weight. He was wide but not overweight. With that in mind, I think the bod pod. Numbers sometimes can be misleading.

Response by CPT Mike M. made Nov 6 at 2013 8:08 AM

CPT Mike M. — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 08:08:16 -0500

Hate to cut this discussion short but it's not even a discussion. Between "bod pod", water displacement, calipers, tape, etc. - the tape loses every time. Think about it this way if you can dive back to high school geometry it's easy to see why our system is as worthless as it is. If two objects are measured to have the same volume (tape & height) but one has more mass (weight) then the heavier one is denser. With muscle being denser than fat, if two people come in with the exact same height, neck, and waist measurements, the one who weighs more, is better off than the other because of a higher muscle to fat ratio. That's simple math. It hardly gets simpler. Yet when an individual goes in for tape, their weight isn't even a part of the equation. Their weight to height ratio just determines if they get taped.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 6 at 2013 11:58 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 11:58:28 -0500

Agreed that BodPod is way more accurate, but how do you get a BodPod (or any other extremely accurate device) to every unit/location that needs one?

The tape test is the Army standard and has a respectable amount of study behind it over the last several years. While not perfect for everyone, one has to admit that is is the one of the best solutions for everyday use using low-tech and low-dollar equipment.

Also, all Soldiers enrolled into the % body fat program area counseled to seek medical attention. I've used the tape test as a screening tool for all of my units but the results of a tape test did not, ever, make a decision for me. The results were always coupled with other factors before a decision was made.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 11 at 2016 1:03 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:03:45 -0400

If the question is about what is more accurate, and the first thing listed is the tape test, the answer is the second thing, whatever it is.