It’s not your weight that matters… it’s your body fat percentage that does
Body fat percentage is considered as a good measure of an individual’s fitness level. It’s the only body measurement which directly calculates the particular individual’s body composition without regard to the individual’s height or weight.
There two type of body fat:
1) Essential body fat
2) Storage body fat
Essential body fat is necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions. Essential body fat is estimated to be around 3%–5% in men, and 8–12% in women.
Storage body fat consists of fat stored in the adipose tissue and it contributes to belly fat. This constitutes all the excess fat stored in the body.
Below is a chart depicting various levels of fitness and the corresponding body fat levels:
| Description | Women | Men |
| Essential body fat | 10–13% | 2–5% |
| Athletes and body builders | 14–20% | 6–13% |
| Cardio Fitness | 21–24% | 14–17% |
| Average person | 25–31% | 18–24% |
| Obese | 32%+ | 25%+ |
How to calculate body fat
If you weigh 150 pounds and are 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood).
To calculate body fat you need to first measure your wrist (at the fullest point), waist (at naval), hip (at fullest point), fore arm (at fullest point) and your body weight.
After you have made the measurements, use the formula below to calculate body fat percentage.
Body Fat Formula For Women
| Factor 1 | (Total body weight x 0.732) + 8.987 |
| Factor 2 | Wrist measurement (at fullest point) / 3.140 |
| Factor 3 | Waist measurement (at naval) x 0.157 |
| Factor 4 | Hip measurement (at fullest point) x 0.249 |
| Factor 5 | Forearm measurement (at fullest point) x 0.434 |
| Lean Body Mass | Factor 1 + Factor 2 – Factor 3 – Factor 4 + Factor 5 |
| Body Fat Weight | Total bodyweight – Lean Body Mass |
| Body Fat Percentage | (Body Fat Weight x 100) / total bodyweight |
Body Fat Formula For Men
| Factor 1 | (Total body weight x 1.082) + 94.42 |
| Factor 2 | Waist measurement x 4.15 |
| Lean Body Mass | Factor 1 – Factor 2 |
| Body Fat Weight | Total bodyweight – Lean Body Mass |
| Body Fat Percentage | (Body Fat Weight x 100) / total bodyweight |
Alternate Method
Adult body fat % = (1.20 × BMI) + (0.23 × Age) − (10.8 × gender) − 5.4
where gender is 1 for males and 0 for females.
(BMI = weight(kg) / Height 2 ( in metres)