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Body Fat Calculator


The Body Fat Calculator is a versatile tool designed to determine the quantity of fat present in your body. It calculates your body fat percentage, categorizes your body type, and estimates the number of calories required to burn off 1% of your body fat. The total body fat calculation encompasses both essential body fat and stored body fat.

Essential body fat plays a crucial role in maintaining life and facilitating reproductive functions. The essential body fat percentage in women is higher than in men, catering to the needs of childbearing and various hormonal functions.

On the other hand, stored body fat accumulates when the calories consumed exceed those burned, often as a result of a sedentary lifestyle and insufficient exercise.

This calculator utilizes the Hodgdon-Beckett formula, endorsed by the U.S. Navy, to accurately assess body fat percentage.

Calculate your Body Fat

Identifying the amount of body fat to lose is a critical first step in any effective weight loss strategy.
   Gender *
   Height *   cm   (or)  
  Feet    Inches
   Weight *  
   * (At Navel)  
   (At Narrowest)  
If you are not sure of your Neck size but know your hip circumference, use our Body Fat Percentage Calculator
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Quick Body Fat Tips

  • It is good to have less body fat and more muscle mass.
  • Even if you are not overweight, a waist measurement of over 33 inches, regardless of your weight, increases health risks for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
  • To lose fat more quickly you must increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) so that you burn more calories when at rest and to increase your BMR you must exercise regularly.
  • Our advice to stay fit - watch your diet and never skip a meal. And eat lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Always drink plenty of water and keep yourself well hydrated.

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FAQs about Body Fat

1. What is the role of body fat in the body?

Body fat, or adipose tissue, is an important source of stored energy. It contains not only fat cells but also nerve and immune cells and connective tissue. Fat serves several important functions in our body:

  • Energy Storage: Fat is a dense source of energy, providing about 9 calories per gram.
  • Protection of Organs: Fat helps to cushion and protect vital organs in the body and acts as a shock absorber.
  • Temperature Regulation: Fat plays a crucial role in maintaining body temperature by providing insulation.
  • Vitamin Absorption: Dietary fats are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in the intestine.
  • Cell Structure: Fats are a component of cell membranes, helping to maintain the structure and function of cells.

2. Where is body fat located or found in the body?

Body fat is located in two main areas: subcutaneous (underneath the skin) and visceral (around abdominal organs).
Subcutaneous fat cushions bones and joints, while visceral fat cushions organs but is also linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, and may promote insulin resistance.

3. What are the different types of body fat?

Body fat includes brown, white, beige, and pink fat (1 Trusted Source
Role of Body Fat

Go to source
).

4. What is the function of Brown fat?

Brown fat, abundant in infants, generates heat and is stimulated by cold.

5. What is the function of white fat?

White fat is designed for fat storage, accumulating in areas like the belly and thighs.

6. What is beige fat?

Beige fat can generate heat similar to brown fat.

7. What is of Pink fat?

Pink fat is associated with pregnancy and lactation.

8. Why is central obesity responsible for type 2 diabetes?

Fat tissue releases hormones that control metabolism and appetite and affect insulin sensitivity. Fat cells can grow in size and number, and larger fat cells become resistant to insulin, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

9. How can I reduce belly fat?

To reduce belly fat, a long-term commitment to exercise and balanced diet is essential. It is important to avoid sugary drinks and managing lifestyle factors like stress levels and sleep quality.
Exercises like sit-ups, crunches and use of Kettlebell weights can effectively reduce belly fat.

10. What are the limitation of using BMI for calculating body fat?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is popularly used tool for estimating excess body fat or obesity, based on a ratio of weight to height.
However, BMI can't measure the location of fat, muscle mass, or bone mass. It may vary with age, sex, race, and ethnicity, and doesn't always accurately predict health risks related to weight.

11. What are the methods to measure body fat?

In addition to BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio are used to assess body fat and health risks. Waist circumference is a predictor of disease risk and early mortality, particularly focusing on visceral fat. Waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio offer additional insights into body fat distribution and associated health risks

12. What will be the Cost of Obesity to Global Economy?

On current trends, overweight and obesity will cost the global economy over US$4 trillion of potential income by 2035, nearly 3% of current global gross domestic product (GDP)

Gender and Body Fat Percentage

  • For the same body mass index (BMI), women present with ~10% higher body fat percentage compared to men(2 Trusted Source
    A comparison of the skinfold method with extent of 'overweight' and various weight-height relationships in the assessment of obesity

    Go to source
    ).
  • Fat percentage is modulated by our sex differences that arises during puberty: the increase in body weight in boys is primarily due to increases in lean muscle mass whereas in girls due to increases in fat mass or percentage(3 Trusted Source
    Relative Children’s Lipid Accumulation Product Is a Novel Indicator for Metabolic Syndrome

    Go to source
    ).
  • Visceral fat percentage in men increases with age as the testosterone declines(4 Trusted Source
    Testosterone therapy prevents gain in visceral adipose tissue and loss of skeletal muscle in nonobese aging men

    Go to source
    ).
  • As we age there is an increase in fat percentage in both sexes, but again, women are characterized by higher percent body fat throughout the entire life span(5 Trusted Source
    How useful is body mass index for comparison of body fatness across age, sex, and ethnic groups?

    Go to source
    ).
  • Women are more effective in storing fat subcutaneously and men intra-abdominally.
  • 1. Role of Body Fat
    (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/measuring-fat/ )
  • 2. A comparison of the skinfold method with extent of 'overweight' and various weight-height relationships in the assessment of obesity
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/911746/)
  • 3. Relative Children’s Lipid Accumulation Product Is a Novel Indicator for Metabolic Syndrome
    (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8173219/)
  • 4. Testosterone therapy prevents gain in visceral adipose tissue and loss of skeletal muscle in nonobese aging men
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17940111/)
  • 5. How useful is body mass index for comparison of body fatness across age, sex, and ethnic groups?
    (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8561156/)
  • 6. Prediction of Percent Body Fat for U.S. Navy Men from Body Circumferences and Height
    (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA143890)
  • 7. Development of the DoD body composition estimation equations.
    (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADA370158)

Post a Comment

Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. The editorial team reserves the right to review and moderate the comments posted on the site.

Comments

Devkhandelwal9095

Hello this site show me my my body fat Percentage's 20% i want to know ideal body fat Percentages and ideal weight according to my height and age. My height is 5.7inch 170 cm My weight 74 kg Please. Help me what is perfect weight and body fat Percentages according to my body. Thank you

boden-vess

This gave me 5% body fat even though I would say I'm 9-10% bodyfat.

barry_allen

i have 21kg bf how to reduce it while doing nothing pls help

arzoo-pathania

my fat is 28 how can I reduce it.... suggest me...i m also doing excercise in evening for 30 min

shivani03, India

hi. this post is great.. a person need to be fit, he/she should do exercise daily.. but their are so many peoples who are very very thin and they want to become fat..kindly post some blog for those peoples also who want to become fat.



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