Body Fat Index Calculator

Body Fat
Body fat is actually a collection of adipose tissues in the body that store energy in the form of fats. An excessive increase in these tissues leads to obesity and other health problems. So, it is necessary to keep an eye on the body fat percentage. When you are following a weight loss program, it is necessary to have a regular check on the reduced body fat rather than the weight. There are two types of body fats: essential and storage fats. Essential fats are those fats that are present in the vital organs like the heart and the brain; while, storage fats are present almost in every part of the body. The functions of body fat are:

• Regulation of body temperature.
• Insulations of body organs.
• Energy storage.

Body Fat Index Calculator
Body fat index refers to the percentage of fat in your body. Calculating body fat index is very simple. All you have to do is measure your height and weight. The important factors required to measure the body fat index are:

• Age
• Gender
• Height
• Weight

The method for calculating body fat index is different for men and women.

Body Fat Index Calculator for Men
Before you start calculating the body fat index, you need to measure these:

• Waist
• Neck Size
• Height
• Weight

See that you measure them in units of the same measurement system. The formula required to calculate the body fat index for men is:

%BF = 495 / (1.0324 - 0.19077 (log (waist - neck) ) + 0.15456 (log (height) ) ) - 450

Comparison table:

Body Fat	Percentage
Very low	7-10
Low	10-13
Average	13-17
High	17-25
Very High	above 25

Body Fat Index Calculator for Women
Initially, measure the following:

• Waist
• Hip
• Neck
• Height

The formula required to calculate the body fat index for women is:

%BF = 495 / (1.29579 - 0.35004 ( log (waist + hip - neck) ) + 0.22100 (log (height) ) ) - 450

Body Fat	Percentage
Very low	14-17
Low	17-20
Average	20-27
High	27-31
Very High	above 31

Alternate Method to Calculate Body Fat Index
Another technique that uses a common method for calculating body fat index, for both men and women is given below:
Step 1: Measure your weight in pounds and multiply the figure by 703. Note down the answer and mark it as result i.
Step 2: Find out your height in inches and square the figure. Note down the answer as result ii.
Step 3: Now divide result i by result ii. This will be the percentage of body fat.

Example:
Let's consider,
Height = 5' 4'' (5 feet 4 inches) = 60 inches (1 foot = 12 inches)
Weight = 55 kg = 121.2 pounds (1 kg = 2.2046 pounds)
Step 1: 121.2 * 730 = 88476
Step 2: 60 * 60 = 3600
Step 3: 88476 / 3600
Body Fat Percentage = 24.57%

The ideal body fat index depends on various factors. Normally, the body fat should not be more than 25% in men and 31% in women. Additionally, when lowering body fat, care must be taken that the percentage of essential body fats does not fall below 10-13% in women and 2-5% in men. Increased body fat leads to health problems caused due to obesity, like blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. While low body fat causes your body to enter into catabolism state. Catabolism is the process in which your body breaks down proteins and other nutrients instead of fat for energy storage. So, if your body fat is more, workouts or exercises will help you maintain an ideal body fat index. Maintain your body fat and enjoy a healthy life!