The healthy body fat percentages are based on your age. For people aged 20 to 39, men should have 8% to 19% and women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. For people 40 to 59, men should fall around 11% to 21% of body fat and women should fall between 23% to 33%. Let’s know how much fat is in the human body and how to find out the percentage of body fat.
What is the Normal Amount of Body Fat You Should Have?
Body fat is a group of masses that are stored in some areas of the body as a result of eating them in large quantities more than the body needs them, and they are found in a number of types of foods such as meat, chicken, oils, butter, dairy, cheese, sweets and cream. But the percentages of fat in foods are multiple and uneven, as the percentage of fat in large quantities in meat is more than in other foods, as all doctors advise to reduce its intake due to the severity of its danger to diabetics in particular, and those who suffer from clots.
For people aged 20 to 39, men should have 8% to 19% and women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. For people aged 40 to 59, men should fall around 11% to 21% of body fat and women should fall between 23% to 33% of body fat.
Body fat percentage is the total weight of fat divided by the total weight. Various methods can also be used to determine the percentage of body fat; For example, measurement using an analysis called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). All thsese methods calculate the amount of both essential and stored fat in the body.
Types and percentages of body fat
The body contains essential fats and fats stored in it. Essential fats are considered one of the most important types of fats in the body because they are necessary so that a person can survive, that is, until reproduction continues on the surface of the globe. The percentage of this fat in a woman’s body is higher than in a man’s body because of the hormonal functions that the woman’s body performs in the stages of pregnancy, metabolism, puerperium, etc., and the percentage of fat in men is estimated at about (3-5%), while in women it is estimated at about (10- 16) %.
The fat accumulated in the adipose tissue results in another type of fat called stored fat, which is an important part of protecting the internal organs of the organism such as the chest and abdomen. In general, the total proposed minimum percentage of body fat increases and exceeds the percentage of basic fats for both women and men, in addition, the percentage of fat in the body varies according to age, and gender. Therefore, scientists have created a set of methods that are used effectively and efficiently to determine the percentage of body fat, such as measuring with calipers and others.
Body mass index (BMI)
Body fat percentage is a measure of the level of obesity in the body, as the only physical measure by which a person’s relative fat is calculated is the body mass index. Because the BMI allows comparing body fats of different lengths and weights, for example, those with large muscle mass have a mass index greater than those with weak muscle mass, and most likely the difference between normal weight, overweight, and obesity depends largely on the percentage of body fat.
The relationship of body mass index to fat
Body fat can be estimated from the body mass index using the equations reached by Dürenberg and his assistants, as it turned out that they give valid estimates of body fat for men and women of different ages, as the relationship between BMI and body fat percentage in children is different from that in adults. In order to calculate the percentage of body fat, it is necessary to know the following equations:
Child fat percentage = (1.51 x BMI) – (0.70 x age) – (3.6 x gender) + 1.4
Adult fat percentage = (1.20 x BMI) – (0.23 age) – (10.8 x gender) – 5.4
How do I know the percentage of body fat?
To know the percentage of body fat, it is an easy way that you can do at home, by following the instructions that we will mention later. The percentage of body fat differs from men to women.
Calculation of fat percentage for women
Calculate the body weight and multiply the weight by the body equation for women, which is (732.0) and add it with the value (986.8), which is as follows:
- (BW×732.0)+986.8
- Waist circumference×157.1570.0
- Buttock size x 249
- We add the three results that we obtained and add them together, and then we get the percentage of muscle body mass and we subtract (total body weight – muscle body mass = percentage of body fat).
Calculation of fat percentage for men
- (Overall body weight x 082.1) +42.94 (Waist circumference x 15.4)
- We subtract the results we obtained and the result is the muscle mass of the body.
- Subtract (total body weight – muscle mass) = body fat weight.
- (Weight of body fat x 100) We divide it by the total body weight and the result is the percentage of body fat.
It should be noted that when organizing our food to eat quantities of fat, we can eat 30% of the calories per day and that the quantity does not exceed that, knowing that each gram of fat equals 9 calories. The percentage of fat in a man’s body and a woman’s body also differs. The man’s body, by its nature, needs a larger amount of calories. A man needs about 90 grams of fat per day, while a woman needs about 60 grams per day.
