Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Ideal Body Fat Percentage

Ideal body fat percentage for health


If you are looking for a slim and toned body, there is no absolute perfect body fat percentage. The ideal percentage of body fat varies markedly between individuals and depends on various factors including body type age, genetics, activity levels and eating habits.
The ideal weight and fat-lean ratio varies considerably, but the minimum body fat percentage considered safe for maintenance of good health is 5 – 9% for males and 13 – 15% for females, although there’s no hard and fast “rule” on what is too low for an individual.

The table below shows the minimum body fat percentages for both genders by age. As you can see the table suggests that body fat increases with age and although this tends to be the case, it is mostly due to decreased activity levels.


Age
≤ 30
30 – 50
50+
Female
13 – 18%
15 – 23%
16 – 25%
Male
6 – 14%
11 – 17%
12 – 19%















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