#Body fat calculator for women how to#

We all have different shapes, sizes, and fat distribution profiles, but the chart above is a good starting point. 3Ĭonversely, to imply that anyone below 8% body fat with exceptional fitness who eats well is “underfat”, or “unhealthy” is a stretch. In fact, some overweight people who exercise can be healthier than their leaner non-exercising counterparts. For women in this same age group, any level under 21% is “underfat” and 21-33% is considered “healthy”.īody fat is an important measure of health, but stating a certain body fat level is “unhealthy” doesn’t give the whole story. 2Īccording to this research paper, men who are between 20-40 years old with under 8% body fat are considered “underfat”, whereas a “healthy” range is described as between 8-19%. in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) came to the conclusion that certain low body fat ranges are “underfat”, which implies unhealthy.

There is a lot of controversy over what amount of body fat is optimal for overall health.Ī research paper by Gallagher et. “Essential fat” is the minimum amount of fat necessary for basic physical and physiological health. In addition, women need a higher amount of body fat for ovulation. This is because of physiological differences including hormones, breasts, and sexual organs. 1Īs you can see, women have a higher body fat percentage relative to men for a given level. This chart from ACE is one of the most commonly used body fat charts. If you read until the end, I’ll share with you a better metric than body fat percentage that’s also much easier to measure! 1. The first chart from the American Council On Exercise (ACE) does not include age, but the Jackson-Pollock chart does.

#Body fat calculator for women how to#

What is a healthy body fat percentage so you can have the lean body you desire?īelow are two body fat percentage charts, which I will walk you through along with some insights into how to read each chart.