What percentage of body fat is considered normal

Slender body – it is beautiful, fashionable and cool. At least, our time prescribes just such canons. Following them, many people strive to get rid of body fat as much as possible. Is all the fat in our body – extra, and what percentage of body fat is considered normal, estet-portal.com will tell.

Why does the body need fat

You have probably noticed that even with the same weight, some people look fit, others, to put it mildly, are not perfect. The fact is that the ratio in the body of bone and muscle mass, as well as fat and water, is of key importance. Therefore, thinking about a good figure, and indeed about health, first of all, pay attention to the percentage of fat in the body.

At the same time, keep in mind: not only its excess is harmful, but also its deficiency. After all, fat serves as a source of energy and warms us. It (in particular, subcutaneous fat) protects the bones and internal organs. The so-called visceral or essential fat that surrounds the internal organs is part of the nervous system. Fat is required for the absorption of vitamins, the synthesis of hormones, and the construction of new cells. Its lack negatively affects the hair, skin and joints.

“Low percentage of body fat leads to problems with potency in men – with ovulation, conception and the regularity of the menstrual cycle in women”.

What percentage of body fat should be considered ideal

What is the norm? The answer to this question depends on many factors, ranging from your gender (in the male body, the percentage of fat is lower), ending with age (it increases over the years). In the table below you can see which fat rate would be ideal for you:

According to the WHO recommendations for men aged 20-40 "unhealthy" a rate below 8% is considered, and for women of the same age, the abnormal rate ranges around 18%. The minimum percentage of fat that allows a person to survive for men is 3-5%, for women ­­– 8-13%.  I must say that bodybuilders, preparing for competitions, sometimes reach such figures, but they never keep such an indicator for a long time. And still the health risk remains.

How to measure body fat percentage

Now that you know the parameters, it would be good to understand how you yourself correspond to them. There are many methods for measuring body fat. MRI, X-ray scanning, weighing in water and bioimpedance are quite accurate (a special device passes a weak current through the body and calculates the percentage of fat by the speed of the signal). Special scales work on the same principle, which can often be found in fitness clubs and even purchased for home use.

It is quite simple, but not so accurate, you can measure the amount of fat in the body with a tool called a caliper or an ordinary caliper and even a ruler. Grab a fold of skin on the abdomen with your fingers a little from the side and 5 cm, measure the thickness, and check the result with the table.

Men

Women

And you can do it even easier - compare yourself with images of bodies in photographs:

Things to keep in mind when assessing your body fat percentage

Discovered that your performance is not perfect and now you know what to aim for? Be careful and attentive.

“In pursuit of a super-athletic figure, never go beyond the physiological norm of fat content”

However, the problem is that your own norm may differ from the standard. Each person is individual, which means that your personal "healthy" body fat may differ from the average. Therefore, following the chosen weight loss program, monitor the state of your body. It may also happen that, wanting to show the world not only a wasp waist, but also a pumped-up press, a girl will reduce the percentage of body fat, for example, from 18% to 14% and get a … violation of the menstrual cycle.

The body fat index is still within the average norm, however, the individual characteristics of the body have come into play. Therefore, as soon as you notice any unpleasant symptoms, stop the weight loss program at least for a while and consult a doctor.

And remember: in ordinary life, there is no point in achieving extreme performance. But bringing the percentage of fat in the body back to normal is useful, no matter which way you look at it.