Table 1. Body Fat Guidelines
from American Council on Exercise
| Classification |
Women (% Fat) |
Men (% Fat) |
| Essential Fat |
10-12 percent |
2-4 percent |
| Athletes |
14-20 percent |
6-13 percent |
| Fitness |
21-24 percent |
14-17 percent |
| Acceptable |
25-31 percent |
18-25 percent |
Why Body Fat Measurement is Important
Body fat is an important element in successful
weight control. Body fat requires fewer calories than muscle. So
the less fat/more muscle we have, the more calories we can eat before
gaining weight. Body fat is often expressed as our "Body Fat Percentage"
or "Body Fat Percent." Body fat percentage is the amount of body-fat-tissue
as a percentage of total body weight. If your total body weight
is 160 pounds and you have 32 pounds of fat, your body fat percentage
is 20 percent.
Body Fat Calculation and Health
The higher your percentage of fat above
average levels, the higher your health risk for weight-related illness,
like heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, type 2 diabetes,
osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Also, the higher your percentage
of fat (and the smaller your percentage of muscle) the less calories
you need to maintain your weight and therefore the easier it is
to gain weight. This is because muscle is more metabolically active
than fat tissue. |
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