Ability of the Army Circumference Method to detect changes in subcutaneous fat over a 9-week period

The Army Circumference Method (ACM), used to estimate percent body fat for soldiers, has been shown to have questionable validity as applied to women. This study's primary purpose was to examine the ability of this method to detect changes in subcutaneous fat over a 9-week period with men (N = 55) and women (N = 51) enrolled in a weight management program. Changes in percent body fat, based on the ACM, were correlated with the corresponding ones from the Jackson/Pollock skinfold method. Results indicated that the male ACM (r2 = 0.548) could more satisfactorily detect changes in subcutaneous fat than the female ACM (r2 = 0.135).