About the Body Fat Calculator

Body fat percentage is the proportion of your total body weight that is made up of fat tissue. Unlike BMI, which only considers height and weight, body fat percentage gives a more direct measurement of body composition and is a better indicator of health and fitness.

This calculator uses the US Navy method, a well-established circumference-based formula developed by Hodgdon and Beckett. For men, the formula uses waist, neck, and height measurements. For women, it additionally requires hip circumference. The method uses logarithmic calculations to estimate the percentage of body fat from these simple tape measurements.

Body fat is categorized into several ranges: Essential Fat (the minimum needed for basic physiological functions), Athletes (typical for competitive athletes), Fitness (associated with an active lifestyle), Average (acceptable but not optimal), and Obese (associated with increased health risks). These ranges differ significantly between men and women due to biological differences in fat distribution.

Both imperial and metric units are supported. Metric measurements are automatically converted to inches for the formula. For the most accurate results, take measurements in the morning before eating and use a flexible measuring tape pulled snug but not compressing the skin.