Body fat percentage explained

Typical ranges

There is no single official chart, but one widely used set of categories from the American Council on Exercise gives a rough guide:

• Essential fat: about 2 to 5% for men and 10 to 13% for women.
• Athletes: about 6 to 13% for men and 14 to 20% for women.
• Fitness: about 14 to 17% for men and 21 to 24% for women.
• Average: about 18 to 24% for men and 25 to 31% for women.
• Higher: about 25% and above for men and 32% and above for women.

Treat these as broad bands, not targets. Very low body fat is hard to maintain, often bad for hormones, mood and performance, and not necessary for health or for looking and feeling fit. For most people, moving from the higher band towards average or fitness brings big health benefits.

How it is measured

Every method estimates body fat indirectly, and each one has errors.

• DEXA scan: uses low-dose X-rays to estimate fat, lean mass and bone. One of the more accurate options, though results still vary between machines. Available privately at some UK clinics.
• Bioelectrical impedance (smart scales and handheld devices): sends a small current through the body. Quick and cheap, but readings shift with hydration, meals, exercise and time of day, and a single reading can be several percentage points out.
• Skinfold callipers: measure the thickness of fat under the skin at set sites. Reasonably consistent in experienced hands, much less so when you do it yourself.
• Tape measure formulas: estimate body fat from waist, neck and sometimes hip measurements. Easy and free, with an error similar to smart scales.
• Visual comparison: comparing yourself with photos of known body fat levels. Rough, but not useless as a guide.

Do you need to know it?

For most people starting a fat loss plan, knowing your exact body fat percentage is not necessary. Your waist measurement, weight trend, photos and strength give you everything you need to judge progress. Our guide to measuring progress beyond the scales sets that system up.

Body fat estimates are most useful for tracking change over time, especially during body recomposition, when weight might barely move. If you use a method, stick with that one method so its errors stay roughly the same from reading to reading. If you book a DEXA scan, repeat it at the same clinic, at the same time of day and in a similar state of hydration, and no more often than every few months.

Simpler health markers

For health, waist size is often a more practical marker. NICE advises keeping your waist to less than half your height, and the NHS says risk rises when a man's waist is 94 cm or more or a woman's is 80 cm or more. Our guide on how to lose belly fat explains why the waist matters so much.

BMI (body mass index) is also widely used as a quick screening tool, with 18.5 to 24.9 classed as healthy, 25 to 29.9 overweight and 30 or above obese. It cannot tell muscle from fat, so muscular people can be misclassified. For people of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, NICE uses lower thresholds, with overweight starting at 23 and obesity at 27.5.

Changing your body fat percentage

Body fat percentage drops in two ways: losing fat and gaining muscle. The most effective approach does both, with a moderate calorie deficit, 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight a day and progressive strength training two to four times a week.

The rate of change is slower than most people expect, and it gets slower as you get leaner. That is normal. Focus on the habits and let the number follow.

As a rough illustration, someone at 90 kg and 30% body fat carries about 27 kg of fat. Losing 6 kg of fat while holding onto muscle takes them to about 84 kg and around 25%. That is a meaningful change in health and appearance, and at a sensible pace it takes several months.

A healthy perspective

Chasing a specific body fat percentage, especially a very low one, can become unhealthy. Very lean physiques on social media are often temporary, carefully lit and posed, and sometimes edited. Aim for a level where you feel strong, energetic and healthy, can train well and still enjoy life.

For women, getting so lean that periods become irregular or stop is a warning sign to eat more and see your GP, as covered in fat loss for women. For anyone, if tracking your body starts to take over your thoughts, step back and talk to someone. If you want a coach's view on where you are and what is realistic, the Lycan Strength free trial includes a complimentary fitness assessment.