What Is Body Fat Percentage?

Body fat percentage is an estimate of the fraction of the total body mass that is referred to as fat mass as opposed to lean body mass or fat-free mass (i.e. muscle, bone, organ tissue, blood).

Total body fat percentage consists of essential fat and storage fat. Essential fat is the amount necessary to maintain a healthy body. The percentage of fat is greater for women due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Storage fat consists of fat accumulation in the fat tissue.

This is a more accurate way of measuring excess body weight than using just Body Mass Index (BMI), because it takes into consideration the lean body mass described above. You may find this measurement is less widely used because it requires special equipment and skillful usage. Metabolic Medical Centers use this tool as part of our diagnostic process.