Body fat percentage
Body Fat Percentage
The Body Fat Percentage (pronunciation: /ˈbɒdi fæt ˈpɜːsɛntɪdʒ/) is a measure of fitness level, indicating what portion of a person's body is composed of fat compared to other tissues such as muscle and bone.
Etymology
The term "Body Fat Percentage" is derived from the English words "body" (from Old English bodig), "fat" (from Old English fætt, meaning "fat, fatted, plump"), and "percentage" (from Medieval Latin percentum, meaning "by the hundred").
Definition
The Body Fat Percentage is calculated by dividing the weight of a person's fat by their total weight. This includes both essential body fat, necessary to support life and reproductive functions, and storage body fat, accumulated when excess energy is consumed.
Related Terms
- Body Mass Index (BMI): A measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.
- Lean Body Mass: The amount of weight you carry on your body that isn't fat.
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The number of calories required to keep your body functioning while at rest.
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR): The ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips.
Importance
The Body Fat Percentage is an important factor in assessing a person's overall health. It can help determine if a person is underweight, of normal weight, overweight, or obese. It is also used to assess the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems.
Measurement
There are several methods to measure the Body Fat Percentage, including skinfold thickness measurements, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and others. Each method has its own level of accuracy and convenience.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Body fat percentage
- Wikipedia's article - Body fat percentage
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski