On average, women have 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men. Studies show oestrogen reduces a woman's ability to burn energy after eating, resulting in more fat being stored around the body. The likely reason is to prime women for childbearing, the review suggests.
Women, compared to men, have higher percent body fat and deposit it in a different pattern, with relatively more adipose tissue in the hips and thighs. This 'female' fat distribution, independent of total body fat, confers protection against metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis [1].
Body fat is, of course, necessary for life. Besides being a source of energy, it is a storage site for some vitamins, a major ingredient in brain tissue, and a structural component of all cell membranes. Moreover, it provides a padding to protect internal organs and insulates the body against the cold.
Scientists say it has to do with muscle mass. Men tend to have greater muscle mass than women, thanks to testosterone, and muscles burn more calories than fat at rest.
For people aged 20 to 39, women should aim for 21% to 32% of body fat. Men should have 8% to 19%. For people 40 to 59, women should fall between 23% to 33% and men should fall around 11% to 21%. If you're aged 60 to 79, women should have 24% to 35% body fat and men should have 13% to 24%.
Abstract. Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. Also, women store more fat in the gluteal-femoral region, whereas men store more fat in the visceral (abdominal) depot.
It may be predicted, therefore that, if attractiveness is a mechanism for identifying healthy, fertile mates, healthy levels of body fat (21–33% for women and 8–21% for men; [36]) will be perceived as healthiest and most attractive. Men have approximately 60% more muscle mass than women [27,28].
“Having too little can lead to nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances and malfunction of the heart, kidney and other organs.” Men require at least 3 percent body fat and women at least 12 percent in order for the body to function properly, Garber said.
"It is impossible to have zero percent body fat," says Dr. Sutterer. Guys should have roughly two to five percent of essential fat, he says. It's just not humanly possible to have only 0.33 percent body fat.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to pack on excess pounds — including belly fat. Getting older plays a role too. As you age, you lose muscle — especially if you're not physically active.
What Causes Thigh Fat? Genetics is one of the reasons why your legs and thighs have excess fat (7). Using legs less often results in the muscles being inactive, therefore, fat accumulates around the thighs and legs. Other than being less active, thigh fat is also a result of eating junk food that is high in fat.
The primary reason for thigh fat is weight gain. Your body retains the excess calories as fat when you eat more than you burn. Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle inhibits the burning of fat.
So, what factors influence body fat percentage in each gender? Women typically have around 10% higher body fat compared to men but aging increases the risk of obesity in both sexes.
Most fat is stored underneath the skin and is known as subcutaneous fat. That is the fat that is visible and that you can feel. The rest of the fat in the body is hidden. That is visceral fat.
Normal bodily functions will go haywire if essential fat falls below the recommended minimum level of 5% in men and below 15% in women. Women have high essential body fat ranges as a result of childbearing and reproductive needs.
According to this research paper, men who are between 20-40 years old with under 8% body fat are considered “underfat”, whereas a “healthy” range is described as between 8-19%. For women in this same age group, any level under 21% is “underfat” and 21-33% is considered “healthy”.
It can safely go as low as 10% for women and 3% for men, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). With that said, normal body fat percentage ranges that are generally considered healthy for both men and women are provided in the chart below.
A good goal: most men under 40 are happiest with the way they look and feel between 14 and 18% body fat, while the “healthy” range is considered to be roughly 8-19%. For women under 40, the “healthy” range is 21-33%, while most women are happiest with the way they look and feel between 22 and 27% body fat.
Your Abdominal Muscles Aren't Thick Enough
If you have a trim waist and minimal body fat and you still can't see your abs, then you need to work on getting the Rectus Abdominis (your 6 pack muscle) thicker. You will never be able to see your abs if the muscle bellies there are weak and small.
Joint range of motion can be negatively affected by excessive body mass and fat as well, and mass can form a physical barrier to joint movement in a complete range of motion. Thus, athletes competing in sports that require high levels of flexibility benefit from having low levels of body fat.
The ideal height for a woman, according to the average man, is 5'6”. Notably, this excludes 10% of men who say there is no such thing as too short and 9% who say no height is too tall. Similarly, there is no "too short" for 4% of women and no "too tall" for 7%.
Chubby guys are better in bed, according to a survey of 2,544 British women. Thirty-eight percent reported that overweight or plus-size men were superior lovers. It's not totally clear why extra cushion improves the pushin', but research suggests stamina might have something to do with it.
According to a 2014 CNN story on the subject, women average between 6 and 11 percent more body fat than men.