Health Metrics
What Is a Healthy Body Fat Percentage?
Body fat percentage tells you how much of your weight is fat versus lean tissue - often a more meaningful number than the scale or BMI. So what is a healthy range?
Healthy ranges for women
- Essential fat: 10-13%
- Athletes: 14-20%
- Fitness: 21-24%
- Acceptable / average: 25-31%
- Higher (obesity range): 32% and above
Healthy ranges for men
- Essential fat: 2-5%
- Athletes: 6-13%
- Fitness: 14-17%
- Acceptable / average: 18-24%
- Higher (obesity range): 25% and above
Women naturally carry more essential fat than men for hormonal and reproductive health, which is why their ranges are higher. Estimate yours with the Body Fat Calculator.
Body fat tends to rise with age
It is normal for healthy body fat to increase slightly with age. A 20-year-old and a 50-year-old at the same percentage are not directly comparable; focus on staying within a healthy range for your age and on trends over time.
How to measure body fat
- Tape-measure (U.S. Navy) method - free and easy, good for tracking trends.
- Skinfold calipers - cheap but technique-dependent.
- Bioelectrical impedance scales - convenient, but affected by hydration.
- DEXA and BodPod - most accurate, done in clinics or labs.
Body fat vs lean mass
Two people can weigh the same but look very different depending on muscle. Tracking lean body mass alongside fat helps confirm you are losing fat, not muscle, during a diet.