Healthy Body Fat Percentage Norms

What's a healthy body fat percentage for you?

Good question.

A body fat percentage that falls within healthy 'norms' will depend primarily on your age and gender.

Generally, women naturally carry more body fat than men since it is believed that the female body requires this fat for childbearing and hormonal functions. So a male and female of the same age can expect to have a different range of healthy body fat percentages.

You should know that there are no universally accepted body fat percentage norms and the precise body fat percentage for optimal health risks has yet to be determined.

However, for males a range of 10 to 22 percent and for females, a range of 20 to 32 percent can be considered satisfactory for health.

Several health agencies and fitness organizations have produced body fat norms represented in what is called a body fat index or body fat table.

The norms vary slightly depending on the source you consult, but they are useful in that if you fall outside a healthy range-- especially if you carry excessive levels of body fat, you are more at risk for developing cardiovascular diseases and the need to reduce your body fat becomes increasingly vital for your health and well being.

Here then, are generally accepted norms for average body fat ranges. Healthy or normal body fat percentage for both men and women are classified by age group:


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