What is Body Fat Percentage?

Your Body Fat Percentage is the total mass of fat divided by your total body mass, multiplied by 100. Unlike BMI, which only looks at height and weight, body fat percentage provides a much more accurate picture of your overall fitness and health by distinguishing between fat mass and lean muscle mass.

How Does the Body Fat Calculator Work?

This calculator uses the highly regarded U.S. Navy Tape Measure Method. By taking simple circumference measurements of your neck, waist, and hips (for women), the formula can estimate your body fat percentage with surprising accuracy without the need for expensive DEXA scans or calipers.

The U.S. Navy Mathematical Formula

The core engine behind this calculator relies on logarithmic equations developed by the U.S. Naval Health Research Center. The formulas are:

Men: 495 / (1.0324 - 0.19077 × log10(waist - neck) + 0.15456 × log10(height)) - 450

Women: 495 / (1.29579 - 0.35004 × log10(waist + hip - neck) + 0.22100 × log10(height)) - 450

Note: The formula above assumes measurements are in inches. Our calculator automatically handles metric conversions behind the scenes.

Major Benefits of Tracking Body Fat

True Fitness Tracking: When losing weight, the scale might not move because you are building muscle. Tracking body fat ensures you are losing fat, not just water or muscle weight.
Better Health Indicator: A high body fat percentage is a better predictor of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome than BMI alone.
Realistic Goal Setting: Knowing your lean body mass allows you to set scientifically realistic goals for your dream physique.