Why Calculating Body Fat Percentage is Important
Calculating your body fat percentage gives you an idea of how much body fat you are carrying to determine if you are within a healthy weight range. Everyone needs a certain amount of body fat (essential fat) to stay alive and ensure that the body's immune system and metabolism are running at peak efficiency. This type of fat is also considered storage fat and is used up in times of emergency. Excess body fat can be stored on the body as a result of poor diet, lack of exercise or hormonal problems. Calculating your body fat percentage can help you determine whether you have enough essential fat or too much fat that puts you at an unhealthy weight.
Tools for Calculating Body Fat Percentage
Online body fat calculators can give you a general idea of your body fat percentage by taking your gender, weight and waist size into account. However, these numbers are not always accurate. The best way to calculate body fat percentage is to use body fat calipers or a body fat scale.
Body fat calipers measure the skinfolds to determine how much fat is sitting right under the skin's top layer. Using calipers is one of the most accurate ways to calculate body fat percentage, and it's best to take at least four measurements to obtain an average. You will need the help of a personal trainer or friend to measure the skinfolds around your abdomen.
A body fat scale is a convenient and reliable way to determine your body composition, and work by sending a harmless electrical current through the body to find out how much fatty tissue you have. It's important to remember that body fat scales calculate the density of fat and only predict your actual body fat percentage.
Making Sense of Your Body Fat Percentage Readings
For women, the minimum amount of body fat needed to stay alive is within 10 to 12 percent. The lean range of body fat typically found in athletes is 14 to 20 percent, and the ideal range is 21 to 24 percent. The average female has an average of 25 to 31 percent body fat, but anything at or above 32 percent is considered overweight or obese.
For men, the minimum amount of body fat to stay alive is 2 to 4 percent. The lean range of body fat typically found in athletes is 6 to 13 percent, while the ideal body fat range is 14 17 percent. The average male has 18 to 25 percent body fat, and anything at or above 25 percent is considered to be overweight or obese.
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