Your body fat percentage is the key indicator of your health. A high body fat percentage is undesirable as it can cause several diseases. Body fat recommendation is different for males and females due to physiological reasons. The body fat recommended percentage for males is 15 or less while it is 25 or less for females. A body fat percentage calculator can help you get an idea about your body fat and help you set a goal. It will help you to gain a better understanding of how your body burns fat and also help you choose the exercises and diet to reach your desired goal to become healthy and fit.

How To Get A Body Fat Percentage?

A body fat percentage calculator can help you to determine body fat. But it is vital to understand all the aspects of fats and their role in the body.

Body fat is nothing but a fatty tissue that stores energy in the form of lipids and cushions which insulate the body. Our body holds two types of fat: essential and storage fat. Essential body fat is necessary to support life and reproductive functions. Storage body fat is known as the mass of additional accumulated fat which is used or burnt to release energy on starvation. A part of it protects the abdomen and internal organs.

The healthy body fat percentage for women: 21-35%
The healthy body fat percentage for men: 8-24%

How Do You Measure Body Fat Percentage?

You can measure your body fat simply with the help of a body fat percentage calculator in few simple steps:

Step 1: You need to know the account of body fat percentile ranges.

First, you need to consider the variables such as body type, heredity, age, activity, and gender. The range for healthy body fat percentage in females is higher than that of males. The reason being, a woman needs more body fat for certain body functions like reproduction. A certain amount of fat is vital for bodily functions such as regulating body temperature, cushions organs, and tissues and is the main form of the body’s energy storage.

Step 2: Weigh yourself.

Try to get as accurate your body weight as possible. Different scales often give different numbers. It also depends upon the time of the day you weigh yourself and the weighing scale you use. Try weighing yourself on the same scale at the same time of the day for a few days to get an average of your body weight.

Step 3: Calculate your body mass index (BMI)

You can easily calculate your BMI. You need to divide your weight in kilograms by your height in inches squared.
BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m) x height (m)]

Step 4: Calculate your body fat percentage.

Once you find your BMI value, substitute it in the below formula based on your gender to calculate your body fat percentage.

For women:

(1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) – 5.4 = Body Fat Percentage

For men:

(1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) – 16.2 = Body Fat Percentage

Body Fat Percentage Vs. BMI

BMI cannot determine your body fat percentage. It only lets you know if you are average weight, overweight or underweight.

Although easy to calculate, BMI may not be a very reliable indicator of your overall health as it doesn’t take into account other important factors.

Body fat percentage will let you know about the overall health of your body. It will allow you to figure out the steps to be taken towards healthy living.

How To Reduce Body Fat?

Once you get an idea about your body fat with the help of a body fat percentage calculator, you need to take some serious steps to control your body fat.

Plan your workout: Begin with some moderate exercises and gradually increase the intensity. Walking should be the primary step for people suffering from obesity. Varying the exercises proves to be fruitful. Do cardio and weight lifting for faster loss of body fat.

Plan your diet: Follow a balanced diet routine and keep away from junk food. Do eat as per your BMI (body mass index). BMI will help you determine your daily calorie intake. Reducing weight is a lengthy procedure. Eating too little is never a solution as a lower intake of essential elements might lead to another problem.

Stay hydrated: Drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated. If you work out a lot, then water is always needed.

Avoid processed food: Avoid junk food, processed food, and packaged food containing trans-fat.

Keep track of your progress: Check your progress with a percentage change calculator and stay updated about your body fat.

Bottom Line

There are so many ways to calculate or measure your body fat percentage. From simple measurements to expensive tests, there are multiple means. You will get different measures if you try multiple methods. Underwater weighing or tools like the BOD POD are the most accurate and some of the costliest techniques. Using the formulas given above are free and easy to calculate in the comfort of your home. Once you calculate it, the next step must be to bring the reading to normal by focussing on your workouts and diet. Certain lifestyle habits like sleep and stress also have a great impact on the body. Hence, it is suggested to focus on each aspect and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How to get a body fat percentage?

You can calculate it easily using the formulas given above. First, calculate BMI and then substitute it in the body fat percentage formula. For women, a fat range of 13-31% and for men 5-24% is considered healthy.

2. How do you measure body fat percentage in different methods?

You can measure body fat using the following methods:

• Skinfold calipers
• Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
• Hydrostatic weighing
• Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)
• Body circumference measurements

3. What do we need to calculate body fat percentage?

You need to gather the following information to calculate the body fat percentage:

• Your age and gender
• Weight: You will get the most accurate result in the morning, before breakfast, and with minimal clothes and no shoes.
• Height: To measure your height, stand straight, and measure the distance from the floor to the top of your head.

4. How to determine the normalcy of body fat percentage?

Once you do the measurement, you can compare your body fat with the following data:

• Essential fat: 10–13% (women), 2–5% (men)
• Athletes: 14–20% (women), 6–13% (men)
• Fitness: 21–24% (women), 14-17% (men)
• Average: 25–31% (women), 18–24% (men)
• Obese: 32%+ (women), 25%+ (men)

5. Why should you control your body fat?

Excessive accumulation of body fat can lead to several diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes, pregnancy complications, and even hormonal abnormalities in some instances. Body fat should be checked and controlled for healthy living.

6. Are body fat scales accurate?

The body scales are mostly accurate, but several factors may affect the reading; expect the result to be off by 5%. Follow the instructions carefully, as mentioned on the scale to avoid errors from your end.