Understanding Body Fat Percentages

noreply@blogger.com (Balanced Body) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Providing a client with an estimation of their body composition is a valuable practice because a person’s level of body fat is directly correlated with health outcomes. Obesity-related diseases include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

	Men	Women
Exceptionally lean	6-10%	10-15% **
Very lean	11-14%	16-20% **
Lean	15-18%	21-25%
Moderate	19-24%	26-29%
Over fat *	25% +	36% +

*Men are considered borderline at 25% BF and clinically obese at 30%, while women are borderline at 30% and clinically obese at 35% BF.

**Lower BF% for women increases the chance of amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation).

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

noreply@blogger.com (Balanced Body) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Your BMI is an estimate of your body fat, based on your height and weight. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk of developing such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

Less than 18.5 - Underweight

18.5-24.9 - Healthy

25.0-29.9 - Overweight

30.0 or more - Obese

Keep in mind that while BMI readings are generally accurate, a BMI can read too high for athletes or others with large, heavy muscles or can exaggerate low readings for frail older people who have lost muscle mass.

Balanced Body Fitness

Understanding Body Fat Percentages

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?