For example, a 20 year old man and a 50 year old man may have the same subcutaneous body fat measurement (fat under the skin), but the 20 year old may be 15% and the 50 year old will be at 20%. Most body fat measurement devices will reflect higher body fat levels as the age increases. A classic example is a skinny runway model may have the same body fat percentage as a fit, athletic women.Īge – The pictures in this post assume ages of around 25-35 years old. I tried my best to show pictures that highlighted the stomach region for men and the hips/thighs/stomach region for women.īody Shape -Similar to body fat distribution is we all have different body shapes, so two different body shapes may have the same body fat percentage even if they don’t look like it. Same thing goes with men, but most men carry fat in their stomachs. For example, some women may have very little body fat on their abs, but a lot on their thighs and triceps, while others will have the opposite. For example, a 180lb man with 30lb of body fat has a body fat percentage of 16% (30/180).īody Fat Distribution – We all have different body fat distributions, or how fat is distributed across our body. To best understand the descriptions in this article and how the pictures were chosen, here are some basic body fat percentage terms and concepts that are helpful to learn:īody Fat Percentage – is the amount of body fat (lb, or kg) divided by total body weight listed as a percentage. If one of these pictures is copyrighted, please let me know and I will list proper attributions, or replace it if need be.
Most of the images I purchased from stock photography websites, but others are in the public domain (at least I hope). I searched thousands of images in order to create this article. While I’ve written extensively about body fat percentage in numerous articles including Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart, 5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage, and Ideal Body Weight Formula among many others, I’m hoping this article will help tie everything together by creating visual representations of what a given amount of body fat looks like for men and women. Body fat percentage is thankfully gaining more popularity as an effective marker of overall health and fitness instead of the BMI Index.