Body Fat Calculator
Estimate body fat percentage from tape measurements using the U.S. Navy method.
Body fat
16.9%
Fitness
CategoryFitness
Fat mass11.9 kg
Lean body mass58.1 kg
The U.S. Navy tape method is typically within 3–4 percentage points of a DEXA scan. Measured consistently, it tracks change over time well.
About the Body Fat Calculator
The U.S. Navy method estimates body fat percentage from a few tape measurements rather than equipment. It is less precise than a DEXA scan but needs nothing more than a tape measure, and it tracks change over time reasonably well.
Formula
Men: 495 / (1.0324 − 0.19077·log₁₀(waist − neck) + 0.15456·log₁₀(height)) − 450. Women: 495 / (1.29579 − 0.35004·log₁₀(waist + hip − neck) + 0.22100·log₁₀(height)) − 450, all measurements in centimetres.
Frequently Asked Questions
Neck just below the larynx, waist at the navel for men and at the narrowest point for women, and hips at the widest point. Keep the tape snug but not compressing the skin, and measure at the end of a normal exhale.
Commonly cited ranges are roughly 8–19% for men and 21–32% for women, with athletes often lower. Essential fat — the minimum needed for normal function — is around 3% for men and 12% for women.
It is typically within 3–4 percentage points of a DEXA scan for people of average build, but less reliable at the extremes. Its real strength is consistency: measured the same way each time, it tracks changes well.
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