Calculating your Body Fat

We all need a little bit of fat in our bodies to keep us healthy. However many of us have more fat than we actually need and that is when problems occur. A healthy amount of fat in the body helps us to stay warm and it cushions our organs to keep them safe. However too much fat can clog up the arteries and many health problems can also develop. So if you want to know how much fat you are carrying around why not use our free body fat calculator now?

In order to use the calculator you simply need to enter details about your height and weight as well as providing details about the measurements of your hips, forearm and your wrists. Generally you only have to provide measurements if you are a woman.

Now your age will make a big difference as to how much fat is normal in your body. If you area female in your early twenties then a healthy body fat level would be roughly 20-30%. As you get older this will likely increase a little. If you are a man on the other hand your body fat levels will be slightly lower than women’s. So if you are aged between 18-39 then your body fat levels should be roughly 8-19%.

Many people are surprised to find that women have a higher fat percentage naturally than men. However that is how it is because women need more fat in their bodies to aid with reproduction. For example, the breasts, hips, thighs and pelvis all contain more fat and that is thought to help natural reproduction in women.

Overall working out your body fat levels using our free body fat calculator will help you to know whether you fall within the healthy fat level range. If you don’t then it is advisable to take action in order to lose (or gain) weight until you do fall within the average levels.