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Body fat · Women

Is 23% body fat good for a woman?

23% is in the fitness category on the ACE chart for women (21 to 24%). On the ranges researchers matched to BMI, it is in the healthy range at ages 20 to 59 and below the healthy range at ages 60 to 79. It is leaner than 95 in 100 US women aged 20 to 39 in the CDC survey.

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Category (ACE) · Women

Fitness

  1. Essential fat 10 to 13%
  2. Athletes 14 to 20%
  3. Fitness 23% 21 to 24%
  4. Average 25 to 31%
  5. Obese 32% and over

Source: American Council on Exercise

At a glance

23% by age

Healthy range by age

Healthy range at ages 20 to 39 and 40 to 59

  • Ages 20 to 39Healthy range
  • Ages 40 to 59Healthy range
  • Ages 60 to 79Below healthy range

Source: Gallagher et al., 2000

Compared with US women

Leaner than 95 in 100 at ages 20 to 39

  • Ages 20 to 39 (average 37.8%)Leaner than 95 in 100
  • Ages 40 to 59 (average 40.5%)Leaner than 95 in 100
  • Ages 60 to 79 (average 42.4%)Leaner than 95 in 100

Source: CDC, NHANES 1999 to 2004

What it looks like

What 23% body fat looks like

23% sits between the 20% and 25% levels. Generated illustrations, not photos of real people.

Questions

23% body fat, answered

  • Is 23% body fat good for a woman?

    23% falls in the fitness category on the American Council on Exercise chart for women. On the ranges researchers matched to BMI, it is in the healthy range at ages 20 to 59 and below the healthy range at ages 60 to 79.

  • Is 23% body fat too low for a woman?

    Essential fat, 10 to 13% for women, is the minimum the body needs to function, and 23% is above it. On the ranges researchers matched to BMI, the healthy range starts at 21% for ages 20 to 39, 23% for 40 to 59 and 24% for 60 to 79.

  • How does 23% compare with the average woman?

    In the CDC's national survey, 23% was leaner than 95 in 100 US women aged 20 to 39, leaner than 95 in 100 aged 40 to 59 and leaner than 95 in 100 aged 60 to 79. The averages for those ages were 37.8%, 40.5% and 42.4%.

  • What does 23% body fat look like on a woman?

    It sits between the 20% and 25% levels, which are shown in the pictures on this page. The same number looks different on different bodies, because of muscle, height, age and where fat is stored.

Body fat chart for womenAverage body fat by ageBody fat calculator

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