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Men < 20 years
Age
Under-
Normal weight
weight
15
14.6 – 17.5
17.6 – 22.6
16
15.0 – 18.1
18.2 – 23.4
17
15.3 – 18.7
18.8 – 24.2
18
15.6 – 19.1
19.2 – 24.8
19
15.8 – 19.5
19.6 – 25.3
Men / Women ≥ 20 years
Age
Under-
Normal weight
weight
≥ 20
15.9 – 18.4
18.5 – 24.9
Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2007;85:660-7; Adapted from WHO 1995, WHO 2000 and WHO 2004.
Note that with very muscular physiques (body builders), the BMI interpretation will show overweight.
The reason for this is that no account is taken of well above average muscle mass in the BMI formula.
Body fat
The following body fat percentages are guide values (contact your physician for further information).
A lower value is often found in athletes. Depending on the type of sports, training intensity and physical constitu-
tion, values may result which are below the recommended values stated. It should, however, be noted that there
could be a danger to health in the case of extremely low values.
Men
Age
very good good
10 -14
<11 %
11-16 %
15 -19
<12 %
12 -17 %
20 - 29
<13 %
13 -18 %
30 - 39
<14 %
14 -19 %
40 - 49
<15 %
15 - 20 %
50 - 59
<16 %
16 - 21 %
60 - 69
<17 %
17- 22 %
70 -100
<18 %
18 - 23 %
Body water
According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2001), the percentage of body water should normally lie
within the following ranges:
Women: 50 – 55 %
Men:
60 – 65 %
Children: 65 –75 %
Body fat contains relatively little water. Therefore people with a high body fat percentage have body water per-
centages below the recommended values. With endurance athletes, however, the recommended values could
be exceeded due to low fat percentages and high muscle percentage.
This scale is unsuitable for measuring body water in order to draw medical conclusions concerning age-related
water retention, for example. If necessary ask your physician. Basically, a high body water percentage should
be the aim.
Muscle percentage
As the percentage of muscle differs from individual to individual, there are no generally valid guidelines.
Bone mass
This feature indicates the amount of bone (bone mineral level, calcium or other minerals) in the body.
Like the rest of our body, our bones are subject to the natural development, degeneration and aging processes.
Bone mass increases rapidly in childhood and reaches its maximum between 30 and 40 years of age. Bone mass
Over-
weight
22.7 – 34.1
23.5 – 34.8
24.3 – 35.2
24.9 – 35.4
25.4 – 35.5
Over-
weight
25.0 – 40.0
average
poor
16.1- 21 % >21.1 %
17.1- 22 % >22.1 %
18.1- 23 % >23.1 %
19.1- 24 % >24.1 %
20.1- 25 % >25.1 %
21.1- 26 % >26.1 %
22.1- 27 % >27.1 %
23.1- 28 % >28.1 %
Women < 20 years
Age
Under-
Normal weight
weight
15
14.6 – 17.7
17.8 – 23.4
16
15.0 – 18.1
18.2 – 24.0
17
15.3 – 18.3
18.4 – 24.4
18
15.6 – 18.5
18.6 – 24.7
19
15.8 – 18.6
18.7 – 24.9
Women
Age
very good good
10-14
<16 %
16 - 21 %
15-19
<17 %
17- 22 %
20-29
<18 %
18 - 23 %
30-39
<19 %
19 - 24 %
40-49
<20 %
20 - 25 %
50-59
<21 %
21- 26 %
60-69
<22 %
22 - 27 %
70-100
<23 %
23 - 28 %
10
Over-
weight
23.5 – 35.5
24.1 – 36.1
24.5 – 36.3
24.8 – 36.3
25.0 – 36.2
average
poor
21.1- 26 % >26.1 %
22.1- 27 % >27.1 %
23.1- 28 % >28.1 %
24.1- 29 % >29.1 %
25.1- 30 % >30.1 %
26.1- 31 % >31.1 %
27.1- 32 % >32.1 %
28.1- 33 % >33.1 %
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