A person's total body fat percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and reflects both essential fat and storage fat. Essential fat is that amount necessary for maintenance of life and reproductive functions. The percentage for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions. Essential fat is 2–5% in men, and 10–13% in women. Storage fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The minimum recommended fat % should be greater than the essential fat percentage.

There are various methods for calculating body fat percentage and each one has its pros and cons. The naval method is considered an anthropometric method. The term anthropometric refers to measurements made of various parameters of the human body, such as circumferences of various body parts or thicknesses of skinfolds. It is an approximation based on a wide population sample but a convenient way to estimate your approximate body fat.

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