Ideal Body Fat - How Much Is Right?

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So much fuss is made about body fat in this age of obesity that we can lose sight of the fact that we need body fat.

OK so we don't need blubber and a whale-like body, but enough is essential for good health.

The ideal body fat amount for a healthy human being differs between men and women. It also differs according to how old you are.

Our research indicates that expert opinion differs a little. But if you follow the body fat chart below you will not be far out.

Ideal Body Fat Percentages


Age:         20-39         40 - 59         60 - 79

Men:        8 - 20%       9 - 22%      13 - 25%

Women:  21 - 33%    23 - 34%     24 - 36%

Once you start to climb above the higher of the percentages listed above you have too much body fat. This is not healthy. Excess body fat can lead to diabetes, blocked arteries and heart disease. Once you move into the danger zone it is time to take serious action to lose weight for the sake of your health.

Body Fat Percentages Affect The Shape of Your Body

Body fat is important because it has a direct bearing on your body shape.

A pound of fat occupies a greater area than a pound of muscle and does not look so firm.

So, the lower your body fat and the higher your muscle density the slimmer more shapely your body is likely to look.

Also, excess fat wobbles around and looks unsightly.

Use Your Body Fat Percentages to Motivate Your Slimming Campaign

I am a great believer in looking in the mirror. It gives a good idea of how much fat I am losing and how much muscle tone I am gaining. It is very encouraging. Of course, you do need to be exercising as well as eating healthy to see the benefits.

You can be more scientific by having your doctor or physician measure your body fat percentages on a Body Composition Analyser (BCA) machine.

BCA's are now also available for home use at prices not much above those for ordinary weighing scales. However, as the cheap versions are simply stand-on we rather doubt that they are quite as accurate as the professional models. However, they can still provide you will useful guidance as to your body fat levels.

Tanita of Illinois invented the first stand on Body Composition Analyser to utilise Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) technology in 1992, and they are still the world leaders in this field.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is Tanita's method of indirectly measuring body composition. A safe electrical signal is sent through your body from patented pressure-contact electrodes that are housed in a single stand-alone unit. Your body fat percentage is calculated using an equation based on values such as height, age, gender and body type.

You can find your local Tanita BCA stockist on the Tanita.com website where you can also buy online. Prices start from around $100. In the UK you can buy from Argos for around £49.95.

The key to good health is to take positive action to lose weight and tone up your body as soon as you discover that your body fat exceeds the percentages indicated for your age group.

About the Author

David Ferrers is an NLP Master Practitioner who has been a professional Personal Development Coach for over 20 years. He has a special interest in weight loss as he constantly needs to control his weight to lower his cholesterol. He is the founder of the successful GoneForeverWeightLoss.com Elite Slimmers, a "society" of people dedicated to achieving their Ideal Body shape and weight. David teaches members of The Elite Slimmers how to hypnotize themselves to gain the willpower to overcome the temptations that face everyone seeking to re-shape their body.

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