Someone stumbled onto my blog yesterday because it turned up on a search for “What does 30.6 percent body fat mean?” The blunt and accurate answer is “It means you have too much body fat.”
Or put another way, 30 percent body fat means you are one third fat. That's a lot of body fat.
(Site Statistics show me where readers come from and what they click on. The reader above went here: “Tracking and Attacking Body Fat” in which I discuss my personal body fat struggles).
Body Fat Guidelines from American Council on Exercise
Classification Women (% Fat) Men (% Fat)
Essential Fat 10-12 percent 2-4 percent
Athletes 14-20 percent 6-13 percent
Fitness 21-24 percent 14-17 percent
Acceptable 25-31 percent 18-25 percent
Recommended body fat amounts Women 20-25%, Men 8–14%.
Adults in United States averages women 22-25% men 15–19%
Obese is defined as Women 30%+, Men 25%+
This is a very common problem today. Many people struggle with weight and figures show about 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Next time you’re in a public place look around and take note of how many people are visibly overweight. There are so many overweight people around us on a daily basis our perception of what is normal has become skewed. We are so used to seeing overweight people we only notice the obese among us when they are morbidly obese or super obese.
While many see others who are overweight as normal, many see themselves as bigger than really they are. But more commonly, there’s a growing group known as “skinny fat people”. Although they appear to be a normal weight they have too much body fat and too little lean mass – particularly muscle mass. This can be dangerous to health, especially when their excess fat is abdominal or ‘viseral’ fat that is linked to greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic disorder.
On the flip side, many athletes and fit people weigh more but have a low body fat due to high levels of muscle mass (this is good). This is why BMI or body mass index is not the best way to measure body composition or body fat for some people. And the good old fashioned basic weight scale is also a poor way to measure your body composition. It only tells you your overall body weight not your all important fat to lean mass ratio.
The most accurate way to measure body fat is by Bod Pod or water immersion, both of which can be expensive, hard to access, and unnecessary. Other body fat percentage tests. The cheapest method is by use of calipers and best done by a trained professional - else a medical professional or a personal trainer. Another relatively affordable method is by bio-impedance and can be done in some doctors' offices or with a home meter. I personally use an Omron hand held and a Taylor scale model.
But you can easily estimate body fat percentage with a measuring tape. Waist size is the biggest indicator of being fit or over fat. Below are links to several online body fat percentage estimators.
Knowing your body fat percentage is an important key to health. Your body fat percentage – and your lean mass percentage – tell you how fit or unfit you are and indicate where you need to improve. People with high body fat percentages need to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass. That sounds so obvious. So why are people Googling questions that indicate we really do not know this basic health information?
The Hidden Dangers of Excess Abdominal Fat
US Naval Circumference Method
Home Body Fat Test (Online Fill In Form)
Understanding Your Body Fat Percentage
Guide To Body Fat Percent
