According to various sources the minimum limit of body fat is around 2 5 for men 2 and 10 13 for women. The average adult male body fat percentage should be between 18 and 25. 1 dual energy x ray absorptiometry dexa often is used as a reference method for body composition analysis and is considered the gold standard 2 dexa is a multicompartment model technique. To calculate body fat percentage add your waist and hip measurements and then subtract the neck measurement to determine your circumference value. 3 however that is just the minimum amount. How does fat leave the body.
Skinfold measurements have been used to estimate body fat for over 50 years skinfold calipers measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat the fat underneath the skin at certain body. For example if your waist is 30 your hips are. For women their percentage of body fat in relation to age should be between 25 and 31. The body fat index is not an indicator of fitness level since the calculation is made with no regard. Hydrostatic weighing and other high tech machines are expensive and almost impossible for a layperson to access. Bodyscan will tell you exactly how much fat you have now how much you need to lose the amount of food you should eat every day and how long it will take to get there.
Then input your gender and measurements below to receive a body fat index based on average values. When it comes to body composition we are the experts and we are regulated by the care quality commission. Determine your body fat percentage with our body fat calculator. There are also hand held devices and scales which measure body fat but these are often inaccurate. Use a tape measure to determine your waist wrist hip and forearm circumference. But it isnt the entire story of your overall health.
Bodyscan is the uks only company dedicated to accurately measuring body composition with dexa technology. There are many different methods for measuring body fat but some are more accurate than others. Since 2015 we have performed over 10000 scans at our two central london locations. High body fat percentage bf or excess adipose tissue is of particular interest because it is related to increased morbidity and mortality risk. Tracking your body fat percentage is one way to measure progress when youre trying to lose weight or gain lean muscle mass. For women a body fat range of 13 31is considered healthy while for men the range is 5 24.
Body fat is not the most accurate measure of health however and it becomes more acceptable to have more body fat the older you are due to your metabolism slowing. The healthy range of body fat for men is typically defined as 8 19 while the healthy range for women is 21 33. The amount of essential fat differs between men and women and is typically around 2 5 in men and 10 13 in women.