Body fat is the measure of fat on one's body as a percent of the body weight. For example, if someone iis ten percent body fat, then fat is a total of ten percent of that person's weight. Males and females have different amounts of body fat on average. The average American male is 22% body fat, while the average female is 33% body fat. The ideal male is 15% body fat, while the ideal female is 22% body fat. There are several ways to determine body fat and they include:

  • Submersion in water: Your weight and volume are calculated and the amount of fat is subtracted
  • Calipers to measure subcutaneous fat deposits in the body.
  • Electrical impedance: the conduction difference of a low voltage through the body. Muscle is more conductive than fat.
  • Relative Measurements comparing the ratios of waist, hip, wrist, height and weight.

Body fat tends to be a pretty important health concern, especially here in America where there are a lot of obese people. The higher the body fat, the more at risk one is for many diseases. It's just one of the many aspects of the fitness craze. -