A certain amount of body fat is essential to your health. Body fat is used for energy, protection of your organs, and thermal regulation. Possessing too much or too little body fat can be detrimental to your health. Maintaining a healthy percentage of body fat can help you maintain lean muscle, fuel your physical activities, decrease your risk of disease and keep your body working efficiently.
Healthy body fat for men
In young men, the production of testosterone during puberty increases bone formation and protein synthesis. As a result, men tend to have more muscle tissue and lower body fat percentages than women. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a healthy amount of body fat is between 10 and 22 percent for men.
Healthy body fat for women
At the onset of puberty, estrogen production increases fat deposits and breast development in women. As a result, the average female tends to have a lower overall body weight and more body fat than their male counterparts. To maintain health, the ideal amount of body fat for women is between 20 and 32 percent.
Healthy body fat for athletes
Body fat percentage in athletes varies not only by gender but by sport as well. Participants may range from extremely lean with men and women under 7 percent and 15 percent, respectively, to the higher end of average with men between 18 and 22 percent and women between 26 and 30 percent. Body fat depends on the demands of the sport and how the athlete fuels his or her body. For male and female athletes, it is important not to decrease body fat too much, as this can have an adverse affect on health and athletic performance. Men should stay above 5 percent body fat and women above 10 percent at minimum.
Healthy body fat for older adults
As you age, your body fat can increase approximately one to three percent each decade. There is also about a two percent loss of of bone mass per decade in older adults, and this leads to an overall increase of body fat. The averages of body fat for men 66 and over are 24 to 25 percent and 30 to 32 percent for women. Staying physically active throughout your life can limit these changes and help you stay healthy.
Healthy body fat for children
Children today have more body fat than they did 10 years ago. However, measuring body fat percentage was not originally intended for children, due to the changes they experience during puberty. Most reference charts begin at age 18, as that is approximately the age that your physical development is complete. Instead, it is recommended that you use BMI or body mass index as a reference for children, as your BMI has a high correlation to your percentage of body fat. Anywhere from the 5th to less than the 85th percentile is considered a healthy weight for a child. Further evaluation is necessary if the child falls outside of these parameters to determine if there is indeed a cause for concern.
References
- Body Composition
- Getting a Grip on Body Composition
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Walter R. Thompson, PhD, FACSM, Neil F. Gordon, MD, PhD, FACSM, Linda S. Pescatello, PhD, FACSM; 2009
- "Essentials of Strength and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Assoc.; 2008
- About BMI for Children and Teens
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