How Much Fat Does a Person Need?
These are the acceptable healthy ranges put out by former surgeon general C. Everett Koop.
The body needs a certain amount of fat to survive and be healthy. So don't plan on losing all your fat. These charts help you determine how much fat you have to lose.
| Age |
Healthy Range Females |
Healthy Range Males |
18-39 |
21-32% |
8-19% |
40-59 |
23-33% |
11-21% |
60-79 |
24-35% |
13-24% |
Acccording to St. Lukes Obesity Research Center in New York City, here are the fat percentages they recommend.
Fat Percentages for Women
Age |
Underfat |
Healthy |
Overfat |
Obese |
20-39 |
<21 |
21-33 |
33-39 |
>39 |
40-59 |
<23 |
23-35 |
35-40 |
>40 |
60-79 |
<24 |
24-36 |
36-42 |
>42 |
Fat Percentages for Men
Age |
Underfat |
Healthy |
Overfat |
Obese |
20-39 |
<8 |
8 to 19 |
19-25 |
>25 |
40-59 |
<11 |
11 to 22 |
22-27 |
>27 |
60-79 |
<13 |
13 to 25 |
25-30 |
>30 |
The above charts are pretty close to what most nutrition and fitness experts use. The healthy body fat ranges are very close on most charts. However, some people classify obesity and overweight differently. The main thing is to get within the healthy range. It doesn't matter if you are being called obese or overweight.
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