Forget BMI – how’s your body fat percentage? The old way of measuring obesity was BMI- a simple calculation of height, weight, & age. However, BMI completely neglects one key factor: Muscle is more dense than fat. Therefore, measuring body fat percentage is a much more accurate description of your overall level of health.
You can walk into any gym or sports store and chances are they have a handheld body fat tool for you to use. Below is a chart that shows normal body fat ranges for your age & gender. Compare yourself and see how you stack up!
Average Body Fat Percentage by Age
| Age | Women (%) | Men (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 18-20 | 24.8 – 29 | 16 – 18.9 |
| 21-25 | 25.5 – 29.6 | 17 – 20 |
| 26-30 | 27.6 – 30.3 | 18.1 – 21 |
| 31-35 | 28.2 – 30.9 | 20.7 – 23.4 |
| 36-40 | 28.8 – 32.7 | 21.8 – 24.4 |
| 41-45 | 29.4 – 33.3 | 22.8 – 25.5 |
| 46-50 | 31.5 – 34 | 23.9 – 26.6 |
| 51-55 | 32.1 – 35.6 | 26.4 – 28.7 |
| 56+ | 32.7 – 36.3 | 27.4 – 29.8 |