Body fat percent
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Body fat percentage represents the proportion of fat in your body relative to your total body weight. According to , women typically feel very satisfied with a body fat percentage ranging from 18% to around 27%. Meanwhile, for men, a healthy body fat percentage to aim for muscle building would be between 9% to 15% 1 2.
Moreover, essential fat is higher in women than in men due to biological requirements for reproduction. The American Council on Exercise recommends that women maintain at least 10-13% essential body fat for health 3.
For fitness competitors, women might aim to lower their body fat to around 10% or even single digits, although this could have health impacts and may not be sustainable for everyone due to genetic factors and other personal health concerns 4.
Aiming for extremely low body fat percentages, such as single-digit levels, requires a significant and often unsustainable level of diet consistency, which can also affect mental health and overall well-being 5.
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