How much body fat is normal?
Body fat percentage tells you what percentage of your body is fat . If the proportion is too high, this can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis . In such a case, body fat should be reduced – preferably through a calorie-reduced diet and sufficient exercise. We give you valuable tips for reducing body fat percentage. In our body fat table you can also see which values are in the normal range and which values are too high.
Body fat percentage and BMI
The BMI (Body Mass Index) puts our body weight and our height in relation to each other. It thus offers a rough orientation as to whether we are normal, underweight or overweight. However, we do not receive any information from the BMI about the composition of the body mass, i.e. the proportion of fat tissue and muscle mass in the total weight.
The body fat percentage (BFA) provides us with this information . It indicates what percentage of body mass consists of fat. The figure does not necessarily say anything about the body fat percentage: Even slim people can have too much body fat. Because fat deposits are not always visible from the outside – some fat is also stored in inner body cavities.
The average body fat percentage in women is between 21 and 36 percent. Men have lower values with an average of eight to 25 percent. In addition to gender, the reference values also depend on age – the older a person, the higher the percentage of fat can be, even if the upper limits are of course not open.
Body fat: what values are normal?
What body fat percentage is normal depends, among other things, on gender, age and physique. In general, the body fat percentage in women is significantly higher than in men. With increasing age, the body fat percentage also increases because the muscle mass decreases. The following two tables provide you with an overview of the ideal body fat percentage for men and women. The figures are in percent.
Body Fat Chart
What body fat percentage is normal depends, among other things, on gender, age and physique. In general, the body fat percentage in women is significantly higher than in men. With increasing age, the body fat percentage also increases because the muscle mass decreases. The following two tables provide you with an overview of the ideal body fat percentage for men and women. The figures are in percent.
Body fat – basically bad?
Body fat percentage itself does not provide information about the ratio of different types of fat in the body. However, there are crucial differences here.
First of all, a distinction is made between brown and white adipose tissue. However, the former is most prevalent in infants and helps them maintain their body temperature. In adults it has largely regressed. White adipose tissue is present throughout life.
The white adipose tissue is divided into three types of fat, which perform different and important tasks in the body:
- Building fat is important because it protects organs and joints from excessive pressure, among other things.
- Storage fat , on the other hand, can be harmful to our health – at least if we have too much of it. It accumulates in the subcutaneous tissue – especially on the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. In times of hunger, these fat reserves are the first to be tapped into by the body. It allows humans to survive up to 40 days without food.
- The subcutaneous fatty tissue, or insulating fat, serves, as the name suggests, as insulation from the cold and also as an energy store.
In general, the body fat percentage should be neither too high nor too low. Too much fat is bad for your health, but so is too little. Because if the body fat percentage is so low that the structural fat reserves have to be attacked, the body can no longer function properly. This is the case for men with a body fat percentage below eight and for women below 15 percent.
Danger to the cardiovascular system
If the body fat percentage is too high, it can have a negative effect on our health. Because too much body fat is usually accompanied by an increase in blood fat levels and blood pressure. This increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis or a stroke . The development of diabetes mellitus can also be favored by an increased body fat percentage.
However, body fat is not the same as body fat: Because while small padding on the thighs and buttocks only slightly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, too much fat on the stomach is dangerous. Because many vascular-damaging substances are produced here, which significantly increase the risk of disease.
Reduce excess body fat
Dieting is the wrong way to reduce body fat in the long term. A favorable result can only be achieved through a thorough change in lifestyle. In addition to a healthy, low-fat diet, a lot of exercise is particularly important.
If not only is your body fat percentage high, but you are also overweight , you should change your diet so that you take in fewer calories than you use. It is best to focus on healthy foods such as vegetables , fruit and whole grain products. On the other hand, you should avoid sweet and greasy foods as much as possible.
However, diet alone is not enough to reduce body fat. It is important that you also exercise. Endurance sports such as jogging, walking, swimming or cycling are well suited. Ideally, exercise for at least 30 minutes three to four times a week.
If you are slim and still have an increased body fat percentage, you should also do more sport. In addition to endurance sports, regular strength training is particularly recommended here, through which muscles can be built up in a targeted manner. Because muscles also burn fat at rest – a higher muscle mass also increases the basal metabolic rate.
