Maintaining an adequate fat percentage does have various health benefits. This figure differs from person to person, given below are body fat percentage charts for men, women, children, and athletes.
The two basic types of body fat are- storage and essential. The former is the one, which gets accumulated or stored in loose connective tissues. These tissues help in protecting internal organs, and are also responsible for storing energy in the form of fat. Its normal percentage is 15% in women and 12% in men. It is stored in the lungs, heart, liver, bone marrow, kidney, muscles, spleen, and the central nervous system. It is required for metabolism. The normal percentage for the latter is 10-15% in women and 2-5% in men. These levels should be maintained by everyone to ensure proper organ functioning. On that note, this article brings a body fat percentage chart for your convenience.
A body fat chart gives the total amount of fat which should be present in a person’s body. There are different charts for men, women, children, and athletes, as they all have different requirements at different stages in their lives. There are different methods of calculating this percentage, like bio-electric impedance and infrared interactance. A person can also use the body fat index calculator to calculate.
For Females
| Age | Very Less | Healthy Range | Overweight | Obese |
| 20-30 yrs | less than 21% | 21-33% | 33-39% | more than 39% |
| 31-40 yrs | less than 21% | 21-33% | 33-39% | more than 39% |
| 41-50 yrs | less than 23% | 23-35% | 35-40% | more than 40% |
| 51-60 yrs | less than 23% | 23-35% | 35-40% | more than 40% |
| 61-70 yrs | less than 24% | 24-36% | 36-42% | more than 42% |
| 71-80 yrs | less than 24% | 24-36% | 36-42% | more than 42% |
For Males
| Age | Very Less | Healthy Range | Overweight | Obese |
| 20-30 yrs | less than 8% | 8-19% | 19-25% | more than 25% |
| 31-40 yrs | less than 8% | 8-19% | 19-25% | more than 25% |
| 41-50 yrs | less than 11% | 11-22% | 22-27% | more than 27% |
| 51-60 yrs | less than 11% | 11-22% | 22-27% | more than 27% |
| 61-70 yrs | less than 13% | 13-25% | 25-30% | more than 30% |
| 71-80 yrs | less than 13% | 13-25% | 25-30% | more than 30% |
For Athletes
| Type of Sport | Female Athletes | Male Athletes |
| Volleyball | 16-25% | 11-14% |
| Tennis | 16-24% | 12-16% |
| Raquetball | 15-22% | 8-13% |
| Basketball | 20-27% | 6-12% |
| Rowing | 12-18% | 6-14% |
| Sprinters | 12-20% | 8-10% |
| Gymnastics | 10-16% | 5-12% |
| Baseball | 12-18% | 12-15% |
| Cycling | 15-20% | 5-15% |
| Field/Ice Hockey | 12-18% | 8-15% |
| Sprinting | 12-20% | 8-10% |
| Long/High Jump | 10-18% | 7-12% |
| Shot Putt | 20-28% | 16-20% |
| Body Building | 10-15% | 5-8% |
| Skiing | 16-22% | 7-12% |
| Triathlon | 10-15% | 5-12% |
For Young Boys
| Age | Very Less | Healthy Range | Overweight | Obese |
| 7 yrs | less than 13% | 13-20% | 20-25% | more than 25% |
| 8 yrs | less than 13% | 13-21% | 21-26% | more than 26% |
| 9 yrs | less than 13% | 13-22% | 22-26% | more than 26% |
| 10 yrs | less than 13% | 13-23% | 23-27% | more than 27% |
| 11 yrs | less than 13% | 13-23% | 23-27% | more than 27% |
| 12 yrs | less than 13% | 13-23% | 23-27% | more than 27% |
| 13 yrs | less than 12% | 12-22% | 22-26% | more than 26% |
| 14 yrs | less than 12% | 12-21% | 21-25% | more than 25% |
| 15 yrs | less than 11% | 11-21% | 21-24% | more than 24% |
| 16 yrs | less than 10% | 10-20% | 20-24% | more than 24% |
| 17 yrs | less than 10% | 10-20% | 20-24% | more than 24% |
| 18 yrs | less than 10% | 10-20% | 20-24% | more than 24% |
| 19 yrs | less than 9% | 9-20% | 20-24% | more than 24% |
For Young Girls
| Age | Very Less | Healthy Range | Overweight | Obese |
| 7 yrs | less than 15% | 15-25% | 25-29% | more than 29% |
| 8 yrs | less than 15% | 15-26% | 26-30% | more than 30% |
| 9 yrs | less than 16% | 16-27% | 27-31% | more than 31% |
| 10 yrs | less than 16% | 16-28% | 28-32% | more than 32% |
| 11 yrs | less than 16% | 16-29% | 29-33% | more than 33% |
| 12 yrs | less than 16% | 16-29% | 29-33% | more than 33% |
| 13 yrs | less than 16% | 16-29% | 29-33% | more than 33% |
| 14 yrs | less than 16% | 16-30% | 30-34% | more than 34% |
| 15 yrs | less than 16% | 16-30% | 30-34% | more than 34% |
| 16 yrs | less than 16% | 16-30% | 30-34% | more than 34% |
| 17 yrs | less than 16% | 16-30% | 30-35% | more than 35% |
| 18 yrs | less than 17% | 17-31% | 31-36% | more than 36% |
| 19 yrs | less than 19% | 19-32% | 32-37% | more than 37% |
It is apparent now, that women require more fat than men. This is because women need it to help them with their hormonal activities and also for the child-bearing process. That is the reason why adult women have 10% more than adult men in the same age group. Athletes have high levels of physical activities, therefore they require a certain amount for energy conversion.
Obesity or being overweight can lead to various heart diseases and disorders. It is therefore important to keep a check on this value by referring to the chart periodically.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
