Determine your body fat percentage
Body fat percentage is simply the proportion of your body weight that is comprised of fat tissue. Body fat percentage usually relates to your fitness level and it can be a better indicator of health than your BMI.
Use a tape measure to determine your waist, hip and neck circumference. Then input your gender and measurements below to receive a body fat percentage based on average values. The body fat percentage result is not an indicator of fitness level since the calculation is made with no regard to height or weight.
Here’s how the American Council on Exercise relates the body fat percentage of men and women to their level of fitness.
| CLASSIFICATION | MEN | WOMEN |
| Essential Fat | 2-5% | 10-13% ** |
| Athletes | 6-14% | 14-20% ** |
| Fitness | 14-17% | 21-24% |
| Acceptable | 18-24% | 25-31% |
| Obesity* | 25%+ | 32%+ |
*Men are considered borderline at 25% body fat and clinically obese at 30%, while women are borderline at 30% and clinically obese at 35% body fat.
**A lower body fat percentage for women increases chance of amenorrhoea (cessation of menstruation).
