Show summary Hide summary
- What can the Body Fat Percentage (BFP) tell you about your body composition?
- How to calculate your Body Fat Percentage (BFP)
- What does the BFP indicator tell us?
- What’s the difference between Body Fat Percentage (BFP) and Body Mass Index (BMI)?
- The health benefits of reducing body fat
- All the formulas for calculating your ideal weight
BFP stands for Body Fat Percentage, and it indicates the percentage of your body that is made up of fat. BFP should not be confused with the BMI, the Body Mass Index.
Other REGIVIA calculation tools:
- Ideal Body Weight Calculator
- Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator
- Calories Per Meal Calculator
- Daily Calorie Intake to Lose Weight Calculator
- How to Lose Weight?
What can the Body Fat Percentage (BFP) tell you about your body composition?
The fat mass index calculates the proportion between adipose mass (fat mass) and dry mass (muscle mass). It can therefore be used to determine how much body fat you have, and whether you’re too thin or too fat.
How to calculate your Body Fat Percentage (BFP)
The BMI is calculated on the basis of 3 factors:
- BMI (Body Mass Index) WHO formula
- Age
- Gender (S=1 for men S=0 for women)
Discover the formula:
BFP in % = (1.2*BMI) (0.23*age)-(10.8xS)-5.4
This gives :
For men: BFP in % = (1.2*BMI) (0.23*age)-(10.8×1)-5.4
For women: BFP in % = (1.2*BMI) (0.23*age)-(10.8×0)-5.4
What does the BFP indicator tell us?
What is the Body Fat Percentage (BFP) according to WHO?
The interpretation of body fat index is different for men and women. For men, it should be between 15 and 20%, and for women between 25 and 30%. The table below gives you the precise interpretation according to gender.
Understanding the Body Fat Percentage (BFP) charte
| BFP result for men | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| BFP less than 15 | Person too thin |
| BFP between 15% and 20 | Normal person |
| BFP greater than 20 | Person with too much fat |
| BFP results for women | Interpretation |
| BFP less than 25 | Person too thin |
| BFP between 25% and 30 | Normal person |
| BFP greater than 30 | Person with too much fat |
What’s the difference between Body Fat Percentage (BFP) and Body Mass Index (BMI)?
BMI is an indicator of weight in relation to height, whereas IMG measures the proportion of fat in the body. BMI can be misleading as it does not take body composition into account, and can indicate a healthy weight for a person with a large amount of body fat and a muscular person weighing the same. IMG is therefore considered a more accurate indicator of overall fitness.
The health benefits of reducing body fat
Reducing body fat is important for health, as excessive body fat can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. Reducing body fat can be achieved through a combination of a healthy, balanced diet, appropriate levels of physical activity and stress management.
It’s important to remember that healthy weight loss needs to be approached holistically, taking into account nutritional requirements, eating habits and physical activity levels.
All the formulas for calculating your ideal weight
The Lorentz formula, created by Dr Friedrich Lorentz (a member of the Department of Sports Hygiene at the Hamburg Institute) in 1929, is based on the Broca Index and it contains additional parameters, such as the person’s height and sex.
Advantage: It is the most common formula used these days to estimate your ideal weight.
Disadvantage: It’s an approximate formula as it does not take into account age or morphology.
Ideal weight for men(in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 – ((height in feet – 150) /4))
Ideal weight for women(in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 – ((Height in feet – 150) /2.5))
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is based on a weight-to-height ratio and it is used to determine and assess the risks associated with being underweight or obese.
In order to provide an even more accurate estimate of your ideal weight, this formula takes into account another parameter in addition to your height: your bone structure.
Advantage: It includes bone structure into its calculation, and muscle mass to a certain extent.
Disadvantage: The calculation formula is approximate.
Ideal weight (in lbs) = (Height in feet – 100 + 4 x Wrist circumference in inches) / 2
This is the oldest formula to calculate your ideal body weight: It was invented by Dr Paul Broca, a French surgeon, in 1871.
Advantage: It’s a simple formula that is easy to calculate.
Disadvantage: It’s an approximate calculation: It overestimates weight, not only for women, but also for anyone who is taller than 5 feet.
Ideal weight (in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100
Dating back to 1891, Bornhardt’s formula was originally devised to determine the build of people enrolled in the army and thus determine their physical aptitude for military service. Although less popular than Broca’s Index, it is nonetheless more reliable and accurate, since it takes into account the individual’s specific build.
Advantage: It includes the chest circumference and, to a certain extent, muscle mass.
Disadvantage : It’s an approximate calculation.
Ideal weight (in lbs) = ((Height (in feet) x Chest circumference (in cm)) / 240
The formula was created by Professor AF Creff in the 1970s, and it offers a precise calculation of your ideal weight, provided that you have an accurate estimate of your body shape and type.
Advantage: It incorporates body morphology into its calculation, in addition to height and age.
Disadvantage: This formula is based on the distinction between “normal”, “broad” and “slender” people. These notions are relatively vague and subjective and thus the calculation remains fairly approximate.
For an individual with a “normal” build:
Ideal weight (in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 + (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9
For an individual with a “large” build:
Ideal weight (in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 + (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9 x 1.1
For an individual with a “slender” build:
Ideal weight (in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 + (Age (in years) /10) x 0.9 x 0.9
This formula was devised by Dr B.J. Devine in 1974. It was originally designed for medicinal dosage purposes. Widely used in English-speaking countries, this formula was employed by major medical and pharmaceutical houses between 1974 and 2000.
Advantage: It allows a given height, measured in feet, to be converted into an ideal weight, in lbs.
Disadvantage: The formula does not take age into account, thus it remains approximate.
Ideal weight for men (in lbs) = 50 (lbs) + 2.3 x [Height (in feet) – 60]
Ideal female weight (in lbs) = 45.5 (lbs) + 2.3 x [Height (in feet)- 60]
* one foot represents 30 centimeters.
The Perrault Formula is also a variation of Broca’s formula.
Advantage: This formula takes age into account.
Disadvantage: It does not take sex into account. However, it’s a very approximate calculation.
Ideal weight (in lbs) = Height (in feet) – 100 + (age (in years)/10) x 0.9
