Body Fat Calculator - Calculate Your Body Fat Percentage

What is Body Fat?

• Body composition or Body Fat is the amount of fat you have compared to lean tissue (muscles, bones, body water, organs), etc.
• No matter what you weigh, the higher percentage of body fat you have, the more likely you are to have obesity related diseases.
• Body fat is a useful indicator of overall health. However, there are limitations to its use.
• Rather than focusing on body fat alone, consider prioritizing an overall healthy lifestyle.
• Exercising more, doing regular strength training, and eating a balanced diet are good ways to maintain good health.

 

Body Fat Calculator Formula

BMI Method

• One method for calculating an estimate of body fat percentage uses BMI.
• Refer to the BMI Calculator to obtain an estimate of BMI for use with the BMI method, as well as further detail on how BMI is calculated, its implications, and its limitations.
• Briefly, the estimation of BMI involves the use of formulas that require the measurement of a person's height and weight.
• Given BMI, the following formulas can be used to estimate a person's body fat percentage.

 

Body Fat Percentage (BFP) formula for adult males

BFP = 1.20 × BMI + 0.23 × Age - 16.2

 

Body Fat Percentage (BFP) formula for adult females

BFP = 1.20 × BMI + 0.23 × Age - 5.4

 

Body fat Percentage (BFP) formula for boys

BFP = 1.51 × BMI - 0.70 × Age - 2.2

 

Body Fat Percentage (BFP) formula for girls:

BFP = 1.51 × BMI - 0.70 × Age + 1.4

 

The equation was developed at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), in San Diego, California.

 

For Men

%BF = 495 / ( 1.0324 - 0.19077 * log10( waist - neck ) + 0.15456 * log10( height ) ) - 450

 

For Women

%BF = 495 / ( 1.29579 - 0.35004 * log10( waist + hip - neck) + 0.22100 * log10( height ) ) - 450

 

• Note that the results of these calculations are only an estimate since they are based on many different assumptions to make them as applicable to as many people as possible.
• For more accurate measurements of body fat, the use of instruments such as bioelectric impedance analysis or hydrostatic density testing is necessary.

 

Fat Mass (FM) formula

FM = BF × Weight

 

Lean Mass (LM) formula

LM = Weight - FM

 

Body Fat Percentage Table For Women 

• Physiologically, women need more essential body fat than men. As such, women require slightly more body fat for good health.
• Essential body fat is necessary for insulation, the protection of internal organs, vitamin storage, and hormone regulation to promote a healthy pregnancy.
• Body fat also changes with age.

 

Ideal body fat percentages by age group are as follows:

 

Age 20–29

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 14%
Excellent	14–16.5%
Good	16.6–19.4%
Fair	19.5–22.7%
Poor	22.8–27.1%
Dangerously high	over 27.2%

 

Age 30–39

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 14%
Excellent	14–17.4%
Good	17.5–20.8%
Fair	20.9–24.6%
Poor	24.7-29.1%
Dangerously high	Over 29.2%

 

Age 40–49

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 14%
Excellent	14–19.8%
Good	19.9–23.8%
Fair	23.9–27.6%
Poor	27.7–31.9%
Dangerously high	over 31.3%

 

Age 50–59

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 14%
Excellent	14–22.5%
Good	22.6–27%
Fair	27.1–30.4%
Poor	30.5–34.5%
Dangerously high	over 34.6%

 

Age 60-69

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 14%
Excellent	14–23.2%
Good	23.3–27.9%
Fair	28–31.3%
Poor	31.4–35.4%
Dangerously high	over 35.5%

 

Body Fat Percentage Table For Men

• Men also need to keep their body fat percentage in a healthy range.
• However, the ideal fat percentages are slightly lower in men than in women.
• Ideal body fat percentages by age group are as follows:

 

Age 20–29

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 8%
Excellent	8–10.5%
Good	10.6–14.8%
Fair	14.9–18.6%
Poor	18.7–23.1%
Dangerously high	over 23.2%

 

Age 30–39

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 8%
Excellent	8–14.5%
Good	14.6–18.2%
Fair	18.3–21.3%
Poor	21.4–24.9%
Dangerously high	over 25%

 

Age 40–49

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 8%
Excellent	8–17.4%
Good	17.5–20.6%
Fair	20.7–23.4%
Poor	23.5–26.6%
Dangerously high	over 26.7%

 

Age 50–59

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 8%
Excellent	8–19.1%
Good	19.2–22.1%
Fair	22.2–24.6%
Poor	24.7–27.8%
Dangerously high	over 27.9%

 

Age 60-69

Category	Percentage
Dangerously low	under 8%
Excellent	8–19.7%
Good	19.8–22.6%
Fair	22.7–25.2%
Poor	25.3–28.4%
Dangerously high	over 28.5%

 

The American College of Medicine published an ideal body fat percentage chart. It factors in age and body composition differences between men and women. You will also notice that body fat mass naturally increases with age.

See the table below.

Age	Men Healthy Body Fat %	Women Healthy Body Fat %
20 – 29	7 –17%	16 – 24%
30 – 39	12 – 21%	17 – 25%
40 – 49	14 –23%	19 –28%
50 – 59	16 –24%	22 –31%
60+	17 –25%	22 –33%

 

 

Need a more specific BFP chart? The American Council on Exercises (ACE) released a chart that classifies men's and women’s fat percentages under different fitness categories. Take a look below.

Classification	Men's Body Fat %	Women's Body Fat %
Essential fat*	2 – 5%	10 – 13%
Athletes	6 – 13%	14 – 20%
Fitness	14 – 17%	21 – 24%
Average	18 – 24%	25 – 31%
Obese	25% and up	32% and up

 

Ideal Body Fat Percentage

• Being passionate about food directly affects your nutrition and health.
• As a culinary enthusiast, you benefit by learning how to prepare all sorts of delicious meals.
• Somewhere along the way, taking control of your diet can also help you develop healthier food choices.
• However, passion for food does not always translate to a healthy diet. It’s easy to get carried away when you have access to epicurean feasts.
• And as with everyone, if you don’t watch what you eat, it will eventually take its toll on your health.   
• This is why it’s important to keep track of your weight, especially your body fat mass.
• To estimate your body fat percentage, use our calculator above.
• In this guide, we’ll talk about the ideal body fat percentage for men and women, the risks of low or excess fat mass, and different ways you can measure your body fat.
• Finally, we’ll discuss how to achieve the right fat percentage for improved health.

 

Different Methods to Measure Body Fat

Different ways are used to measure your body fat percentage.

 

1. Tape Measure Test

• Using a tape measure is one of the most convenient ways to track BFP.
• This method is done by taking your height, weight, waist circumference, and neck measurements.
• In addition, hip circumference is taken for women.
• A widely used body fat percentage equation was developed by the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC), with the following formulas below.

 

For Men

BF% = 495 / (1.0324 – 0.19077 * log10(waist – neck) + 0.15456 * log10(height)) – 450

 

For Women

BF% = 495 / (1.29579 – 0.35004 * log10(waist + hip – neck) + 0.22100 * log10(height)) – 450

 

• For a faster way to compute your body fat percentage, use our calculator at the top of this page.
• Because you need to take several measurements, the tape test has a lot of room for error.
• You must repeat measuring at least three times to ensure they are correct.
• Factors like clothing, how tightly you pull the tape, and how recently you’ve eaten can affect the figures.
• It also pays to have a skilled person do the measurements to maintain precision.

 

2. Skinfold Caliper Test

• Get your body fat percentage by performing a skinfold test.
• This is done with calipers that measure subcutaneous tissue (how thick your fat is) in different areas of your body.
• Calipers are also affordable and widely available tools to measure body fat.
• The popular 3-site approach was developed by researchers A.S. Jackson and M.L. Pollock.
• You can take the 3-site approach, a 4-site approach, or a 7-site approach to get your body fat percentage.

 

These pinch tests can be done in the following skinfold sites:

• Abdomen – near the belly button
• Supraillac – the side of the tummy
• Triceps – fold behind the arm
• Midaxillary – spot underneath the armpit
• Subscapular – under the shoulder blade
• Chest – above the nipple, toward the side
• Thigh – skinfold that’s around 4 in. above the knee
• For women – The area above the hip bone
• For instance, a 4-site approach for men may include the abdomen, chest, tricep, and subscapular skinfold.
• For women, a 4-site approach may measure the area above the hip bone, abdomen, thigh, and midaxillary area.
• Like the tape test, there’s plenty of room for error, especially if you’re unfamiliar with calipers.
• The skinfold test is said to have an error range of 3.5 – 5% body fat.

 

3. Body Fat Scale

• This special scale utilizes bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology.
• It basically allows electrical current to pass through your legs all the way up to your body.
• These scales operate on the principle that fat conducts less electric current compared to muscle and water content in the body.
• Thus, it registers a higher body fat percentage when it indicates more resistance.
• To come up with a body fat percentage, this scale incorporates its bioelectrical reading with information such as your weight, height, age, and gender.
• Body fat scales are available in the market for around $35 and $50, depending on the brand.

 

4. Hydrostatic Weighing

• Hydrodensitometry, also known as hydrostatic weighing, is one of the most accurate methods for measuring body fat percentage.
• Steven Heymsfield, the editor of the book Human Body Composition, states that hydrostatic weighing can have an error rate as low as 2% body fat.
• It’s more precise than traditional methods such as the tape test, skinfold test, or even the body fat scale.
• Due to its precision, it’s the ideal method for measuring body fat in both adults and children.
• This method involves submerging individuals underwater, and later on allowing them to exhale as much oxygen as they can from their lungs.
• The subject is then weighed back on land while estimating how much air is still in their lungs.
• The result is calculated with a special formula that accounts for the body’s density.
• This number is then used to compute the subject’s body fat percentage.
• While it’s one of the most accurate ways to measure fat mass, this procedure isn’t accessible to everyone.
• It can only be found in special facilities such as health clubs, universities, and large hospitals.
• Other limitations include subjects who are unable to completely go underwater.

 

5. CT Scan and MRI

• Another precise way to estimate body fat mass can be done through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans.
• Apart from helping physicians look inside cross-sections of your body, MRI and CT scans can help measure intra-abdominal fat.
• Though this is not a common method, doctors have found a way to use these tools for their patients.
• A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology used whole-body MRI to quantify and evaluate different body fat deposits in 67 women.
• The results showed that MRI results a great variation in total internal body fat which could not be predicted by measuring subcutaneous fat (skinfold) alone.
• In a related study found in the Journal of Digital Imaging, researchers in Korea proposed to use CT scans for automated fat assessment.
• The procedure was conducted on 5 male and 5 female participants. The results suggested that fat assessment using CT scans is a reliable tool for estimating body fat.
• While it’s one of the best methods out there, it comes with a major limitation. MRIs and CT scans cost a hefty sum.

 

7 Quick Steps to Reduce Body Fat

• There are many factors when it comes to weight and health.
• Focus on building healthy habits like daily physical activity and a balanced diet.
• Seek help from exercise specialists or a registered dietitian to help you reach your health goals.
• Talk to your doctor about your health goals and plans.

 

Here are 7 Quick Steps to reduce body fat.

1. Do Resistance Training
2. Cut the Carbs and Sugar
3. Engage in Cardiovascular Exercises
4. Add More Fiber to Your Diet
5. Eat Protein-Rich Foods
6. Do Intermittent Fasting
7. Try a Plant-based Diet

 

Summary

Overall, Body fat calculator is an important tool for assessing overall health and fitness level and can help individuals make informed decisions about their diet and exercise routine to improve their health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Check More Medical Health Related Calculator on Drlogy Calculator to get exact health solution.

 

Reference

• Body Fat Percentage By Wikipedia [1].
• Body Fat | The Nutrition Source [2].