If you say someone has 10% body fat, you know that the individual, if he is a man, has muscular definition on his body. If this number is for a women, you know this woman would be extremely low on body fat (women naturally have a higher body fat than men). For men, 6% body fat
is very low, although bodybuilders may temporarily go down to around 3% body fat. For women, essential fats are around 10-12%, and athletic women will carry between 14 and 20% body fat.

Body fat distribution is useful for the medical professional as well. Intra-abdominal body fat, for example, is known to correlate with a higher level of heart disease.

You can measure your body fat with a body fat percentage scale. These scales are available for the consumer market and are a convenient way to keep track of the percentage of your weight from body fat.

• who is using your scale? I recommend a scale that has “athlete” mode so that you can use the scale to measure all members of  your household
• similarly, if you want to use this as a body fat percentage calculator for kids, see if the scale has a children mode
• see whether the scale can remember dimensions and scores. For example, does it remember height and gender for different people?
• quality matters – the longer you can consistently use the same scale, it will be easier to measure your progress

When actually using the scale, remember to stay hydrated and weigh at the same time each day. If you are exercising before measurement, make sure you are still hydrated. It would be best to simply weigh yourself at least 1/2 hour after drinking a glass of water. If you have access to a body fat percentage calculator caliper, you can also use that as a relative measure in conjunction with the body fat scale.