In order to look lean or achieve a certain aesthetic look, your Body Fat Percentage (BFP) plays an important role. Having low body fat also means you’re healthier overall. Although our bodies have ‘essential fats’ that keep us warm and protect our organs and joints, so it’s dangerous to have a body fat percentage below 5%. A healthy body fat percentage for men is 8 to 17% and for women 15 to 24%.
Gender:
Men
Women
ESSENTIAL FATS
2-5%
10-13%
ATHLETES
6-13%
14-20%
FITNESS
14-17%
21-24%
AVERAGE
18-24%
25-31%
OBESE
25%+
32%+