Body Mass Measurements
What is body fat percentage?
The amount of body fat you carry, your body fat percentage, makes
a difference to your body shape and your health. Our chart below
shows how much body fat is healthy.
Your shape is affected by body fat percentage because
muscle tissue is more compact than fat - a balloon containing
1lb of muscle tissue would be smaller than a balloon containing
1lb of fat!
So a woman, 5' 6" tall weighing 140lbs (10
stone) who does regular muscle enhancing exercise, will have a
lower body fat percentage, and look slimmer, than a woman of the
same height and weight who doesn't exercise and therefore has
a higher ratio of body fat.
Measuring changes in body fat percentage, rather
than just measuring changes in weight, can be very motivational
when you're dieting - especially if you are exercising as part
of your weight loss regime.
How body fat is measured
Bio-electrical Impedance
How is it measured?
A Bone Dexatometry can be performed at
the office and body fat/muscle composition is automatically calculated.
How much body fat is healthy?
The average man has 15 to 17% body fat, while the
average woman is between 18 and 22%. Typical scores for elite
athletes are 6% to 12% for men and 12% to 20% for women.
Click
here to obtain a very rough estimate of your percentage body fat.
