Body Fat % and BMI, where are you heading?

Here are some recent figures for body fat %s Description Women Men Essential fat 12–15% 2–5% Athletes 16–20% 6–13% Fitness 21–24%14–17% Acceptable 25–31%18–25% Obese 32%+ 25%+ Using the above ranges and the following algorithm and/or link: BMI = Mass Kg ÷ Height squared (Metres squared) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Body_mass_index_chart.svg 1. Where do you fit? 2. Are you concerned? 3. Would you be surprised to hear of someone trying to increase their body fat %? 4. Is this a useful measure for your fitness regime? 6. Is this a useful measure for helping combat confusion over who is or is not obese? Re body fat calculation: Most health/fitness centres and gyms will use an electrical impedence device (like standing on a set of scales), to measure this. e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Fat-Counters/b?ie=UTF8&node=10706751 Other methods usually involve detailed caliper measurements of pinched skin folds in a set of body locations, combined with your height and mass measurements. e.g. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fatcent.htm General points: Online calculators are notoriously inaccurate. Sharply visible Abs definition (the six-pack) needs less than 12% body fat.

Public Comments

1. I should reach black hole status any day now. you have been warned
2. i don't know this question is hard to answer
3. 1. underweight 2. no. if anything im overweight 3. yes, thats so crazy why would you want to be fat 4. hmm maybe 5. no, because it says im underweight.. when im fat, im disgustingly fat its wrong
4. Body Fat % 23% (acceptable) BMI 26 (mildly fat!) Concerned, not really Surprised at wanting to increase - yes! Useful for fitness regime? What fitness regime! Useful measure? No! BMI is absolutely useless at determining who is fat. I'm sure most athletes (especially where muscle mass is important) would be classed as obese because of their BMI.
5. I am Little bit
6. 1. Right in the middle (18-25%) 2. No sir 3. Probably 4. I don't have a fitness regiment (not regime..lol) 5. There is no question 5 6. I don't care, as long as I'm not obese
7. I fit in the athelete bit, bmi 24.5. fat 11.4% I'm not an athelete, but do have naturally good fitness levels and very toned. I used to be a fitness bod and understand the thing you are on about - not concerned. Increase body fat because very low - health issues. You can tell if your regime is having any impact on your body. Man can be built with loads of muscle and show as obese on bmi, but acceptable on fat %.
8. BMI = 25, body fat = 19% Not concerned but would like to lose a bit more flab. Unless someone has been told to increase their body fat by a doctor I would be very suprised. BMI is not much use for a fitness regime as it does not take body shape into account. I don't think there will be that much confusion over whether someone is obese. BMI and body fat may be useful as a way of tracking weight loss for someone who is obese.
9. BMI 18.7 and BF= 11.4% Want to get it down to 10% by July. Do lots of exercise and eat lots of protein.
10. I don't know my body fat % but BMI is 18.5. 1. On the chart, just on the edge of underweight. 2. No not concerned, I'm 42 now and the have been practically the same weight for more than 20 years! 3. No not surprised but I bet it's alot more unusal than people trying to decrease it. 4. I'd like a link that tells you how to measure body fat. 5. proabably as good as any, though athletes tend to have high BMIs and low fat % so it doesn't work for them. I found an online calculator & it said I have 20% body fat but I'm far from athletic!
11. 1)my body fat % is 17.2% my bmi is 18.75 2)I am concerned, I want to have 15-16% body fat and 16-17 BMI. 3)Yes, extremely 4)Yes, definately 5)yes, definately
12. 1. It says I'm obese (BMI: 33.6) 2. No, I don't care. 3. No. Some underweight people would like to be fatter, and some fat people gain weight on purpose because they like being fat. 4. I don't know. 5. Body Fat % can be useful.