Body Fat Percentage for Women

These days, in the world of diet conscious people, you are required to determine your body fat percentage for weight management, bodybuilding, sports training and health risk assessment. There are various methods of measuring body fat and all have limitations. The fat stored around the internal organs of the body cannot be measured precisely. You can calculate the approximate amount of body fat. Remember, excessive body fat does not mean that the woman's health is in danger, as every case is a unique case. Regularly exercising women, having too much of body fat can be healthier than a skinny smoker who does not exercise.

Fat Deposition in Women

Health depends upon various factors and not only upon the amount of fat in the body. But this percentage can tell you about how your body fat may affect your health risk. Genetic factors usually decide where your body would like to store the excess fat, such as arms, thighs, buttocks, belly, etc. Apple shaped or pear shaped women long for a perfect glass-clock figure. Low fat diets accompanied by fat burning exercises can help reduce the body fat. The percentage of fat in the body helps monitor the progress of an individual during a weight loss diet. You can assess the physical fitness of an individual for sports or military activities with such figures.

Remember, body fat percentage is totally different from body mass index. BMI does not take into consideration the body composition. The total weight of the woman's fat divided by the woman's weight gives body fat percentage. Both essential and stored body fats are considered in the calculation. Fats are essential to maintain life and reproductive functions. A woman's body undergoes various changes throughout the lifespan. Menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause are the important milestones in a woman's life. The hormonal changes, stress, hormonal imbalance, lack of exercises, sedentary lifestyle, improper eating or sleeping habits, unhealthy diet, excessive consumption of junk food, processed food, oily food etc. are the main causes of high deposition of fat in the adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. Normally, essential fat is 2-5% for men and 10-13% for women. You may wonder why the essential body fat percentage for women is greater than that for men. It is so because their bodies have to deal with the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. The equipment required to measure the percentage of body fat are not always readily accessible, so most of the time, BMI is taken into consideration.

Methods to Measure Fat in the Body

Skin-Fold Method: The skin-fold method is the common method used to measure the percentage of body fat in women. To find out the exact percentage of body fat, the tester measures a pinch of skin with special calipers at several standardized points on the body. The thickness of the subcutaneous fat (fat below the skin) is measured in this way. These measurements are then converted by the tester, to the average body fat percentage, with the help of certain equations. As few as three measurements or as many as seven are taken, depending upon the formula used. The tester is expected to apply a fixed pressure in the specific locations.

Height-Circumference Method: Here, the woman's weight and girth measurements are taken into consideration to measure the percentage of body fat. These measurements are noted down and calculations are done in several ways. One popular way of measuring is that used by the U.S. Navy. Abdomen, waist, hips and neck measurements are noted down and compared with height/weight chart, taking into consideration age also. This is a cheap and convenient method but it cannot give you accurate measurements if the woman holds in the stomach.

Healthy Body Fat Percentage for Women

AGE	UNDERFAT	HEALTHY RANGE	OVERWEIGHT	OBESE
20-40 Years	Under 21%	21-33%	33-39%	Over 39%
41-60 Years	Under 23%	23-35%	35-40%	Over 40%
61-79 Years	Under 24%	24-36%	36-42%	Over 42%

Obesity is a common problem today. The risk of metabolic syndrome and subsequently heart disease and diabetes increases as women become overweight. There are other risk factors as well, worsening the condition. To achieve the goal of fat loss, women need to opt for a healthy weight loss diet. Regular exercise keeps women fit and active.