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Body Fat and Women
 Women tend to have more
body fat than men—about five percent more. By nature, a woman's body is
developed to protect her and a potential fetus. As a result, women have more
enzymes for storing fat and fewer enzymes for burning fat. Additionally, the
estrogen women have activates fat storing enzymes and causes them to multiply.
The minimum percent
bodyfat considered safe for
good health is 12% for females. The average
adult body fat is closer to 22%-25% for women. Athletes tend to be at low
end of this scale due to the increased
lean weight (muscle mass) of top
athletes. While low levels of bodyfat seem to be related to improved
performance, body composition alone is not a great predictor of sports success.
A linebacker needs to have enough body mass (lean and fat weight) to generate
high forces and avoid injury. Bodyfat among elite athletes vary largely by
sport. There is little evidence benefit when women drop under 14% bodyfat. Women athletes who lose too much fat risk
injury, decreased performance and
health issues.
Just as too little body fat can cause physiological complications,
too much body fat is also
harmful. For women over 32% fat, there is a
dramatic correlation with illness and disease.
Obesity has become a serious
health threat for women at every stage of life.
Body Fat Content Chart for Women
Body Type
|
Female
|
Athlete
|
<17%
|
Lean
|
17-22%
|
Normal
|
22-25%
|
Above Average
|
25-29%
|
Overfat
|
29-35%
|
Obese
|
35+%
|
How to determine body fat percentage?
 There are several ways to
find out your body fat percentage. Unfortunately, the more accurate the method,
the more of a hassle and/or expensive it tends to be.
DEXA scan – full body X-ray scan of the same type used for bone density. Very
accurate.
Hydrostatic Weighing – Weighing under water (completely submerged, with all air
blown out of lungs) – Very accurate when done professionally.
Skin-fold calipers (“pinch test”) – Simple, but needs to be done by someone who
is trained, and you can’t do it on yourself. Wide variations in accuracy for
people without training.
Bioelectrical Impedance (BIA) – These are scales and hand-held devises that run
low-level (and painless) electrical current through you. They can be accurate,
although the accuracy varies according to the specific device
and how it is used. Best results are obtained first thing in the morning with no
alcohol consumed for 2 days prior, and no exercise the night before.
 Navy tape measure method - This is a formula based on several body measurements
taken with a tape measure. It can be quite accurate (it is used by the
military), but it does depend upon your ability to accurately measure. Using
centimeters rather than inches is the best, but using inches within ¼ of an inch
works. To be sure, measure yourself 3 times and take the average. It is
especially useful for tracking yourself over time.
Managing body fat
Each living cell of the
body requires energy to survive. Losing muscle mass or possessing low muscle
composition causes fat-burning fires to die down much more rapidly, compared
with getting older or losing fitness. To learn more on how to keep you fat
furnace working,
click here.
Related Links
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