G
B
6
Body Fat - What does it mean?
The human body is made up of, amongst other things, a percentage of fat. This is vital for a healthy,
functioning body - it cushions joints and protects vital organs, helps regulate body temperature, stores
vitamins and helps the body sustain itself when food is scarce. However, too much body fat or indeed
too little body fat can be damaging to your health. It is difficult to gauge how much body fat we have in
our bodies simply by looking at ourselves in the mirror.
This is why it is important to measure and monitor your body fat percentage. Body fat percentage
gives you a better measure of fitness than weight alone – the composition of your weight loss could
mean you are losing muscle mass rather than fat - you could still have a high percentage of fat even
when a scale indicates ‘normal weight’.
Body Water - Why measure it?
Body water is the single most important component of body weight. It represents over half of your
total weight and almost two thirds of your lean body mass (predominantly muscle).
Water performs a number of important roles in the body:
All the cells in the body, whether in the skin, glands, muscles, brain or anywhere else, can only function
properly if they have enough water. Water also plays a vital part in regulating the body’s temperature
balance, particularly through perspiration.
The combination of your weight and fat measurement could appear to be ‘normal’ but your body
hydration level could be insufficient for healthy living.
How can knowing your body fat and water percentages help?
It can serve as a guide to whether you need to adjust your diet, fitness program or fluid intake to help
achieve a healthy balance. Refer to tables (See Fig 1 and Fig 2).
UNDERSTANDING YOUR RESULTS
AGE
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59
60+
Low
<13
<14
<16
<17
<18
Optimal
14-20 15-21 17-23 18-24 19-25
Moderate
21-23 22-24 24-26 25-27 26-28
High
>23
>24
>26
>27
>28
AGE
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59
60+
Low
<19
<20
<21
<22
<23
Optimal
20-28 21-29 22-30 23-31 24-32
Moderate
29-31 30-32 31-33 32-33 33-35
High
>31
>32
>33
>34
>35
Body Fat % Ranges for Men**
Body Fat % Ranges for Women**
Fig. 1
