Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study developing prediction equations from a convenience sample
PubMed 10966886 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/72.3.694
What was done
Researchers evaluated a convenience sample of 1,626 adults (BMI ≤ 35 kg/m²) across three ethnic groups (white, African American, and Asian) at three universities (Cambridge, Columbia, and Jikei). Body fat was measured using reference methods: a 4-compartment model at two sites and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at all three sites. Multiple regression models were developed to predict percentage body fat from 1/BMI, sex, age, and ethnic group, which were then linked to established NIH/WHO BMI cutoffs (<18.5, ≥25, and ≥30 kg/m²).
What was found
Independent predictor variables for percentage body fat included 1/BMI, sex, age, and ethnic group, yielding regression models with R² values ranging from 0.74 to 0.92 and standard errors of the estimate (SEEs) from 2.8% to 5.4% body fat. These equations were used to generate provisional healthy percentage body fat ranges aligned with established BMI categories.
Why it matters
This study provides an empirical framework to translate widely used BMI cutoffs into corresponding percentage body fat ranges across different age, sex, and ethnic groups.
Limits
The study used a convenience sample and excluded individuals with BMI > 35 kg/m². Body composition reference methods varied across study sites (4-compartment model at two centers, DXA alone at the third). The resulting percentage body fat ranges are derived secondarily from BMI cutoffs rather than directly linked to clinical or health outcomes.
Cited by
- context A healthy body fat percentage for most women ranges between 18% and 25%.