If you're wondering if you have too much belly fat or know that you have too much belly fat you may want to know just how much you have. A belly fat test can do that. Too much fat stored in the abdomen or belly raises the risk of heart disease.

There is a lot of concern these days when people are carrying around too much excess fat in their bellies. There is a way to tell if you are in the safe range or not.

This simple test is called the waist-to-hip ratio test. You simply divide the size of your waist at the smallest point by the size of your hips at the largest point. This will give you a good idea how much belly fat is stored in your abdomen. It is not known what the lowest ratio for good health is. But the health experts agree that if you are a woman and your ratio is .8 or lower or if you are a man and your ratio is one or lower then you are in better health then those with higher ratios.

There are other tests that can measure body fat. Some of these tests are not reliable and some of these tests are expensive.

The pinch test uses special calipers to measure the folds of skin and fat on several parts of the body and averages them out. This is not an exact method. It is often used in health clubs and is not reliable. So if you want to know your body fat reading do not rely on this method. I would avoid it.

The bioelectrical impedance test is another test found in health clubs and sports medicine clinics. This test is better than the pinch test and takes a few minutes and generally costs about $25. Electrodes are attached to one arm and one foot and a radio frequency pulse goes through the body. The test is designed to measure your body's water content. One should not drink a lot of water or other liquid or exercise before the test.

The immersion test is used at many hospitals and in some health clubs. The test can take one hour and is not pleasant. In this measurement of body fat, including belly fat, you exhale releasing all of the air from your lungs and they dunk you into a pool of water about six times. Body fat can be off by about 1%. This body fat test costs between $25 and $50. This is one of the most accurate tests for body fat.

The bod pod test is a quick and easy test found in large hospitals and clinics. You step into a chamber and it will measure the displacement of air. This displacement can be converted to fat using your weight as a guideline. Some experts think this test is as good as the immersion test. It costs between $25 and $125.

These are the belly fat tests and body fat tests widely used today. You can start by using the free waist-to-ratio belly fat test to give you good idea of where you stand today. As you no doubt know by now it is important to get rid of your belly fat by and lose weight overall to protect your heart and enjoy perfect health. There are a lot of ways to diet and lose weight fast, naturally, safely and inexpensively. Make losing weight a priority right now for a longer healthier life! You can do it!