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QuickStats: Mean Percentage Body Fat,* by Age Group and Sex
--- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States,
1999--2004†
* Based on whole body, dual energy, x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans.
† Estimates are based on DXA scans acquired from a sample (N = 22,010) of the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population.
During 1999--2004, females had higher mean percentage body fat than males at all ages. Male/female differences were smallest at age 8--11 years
(3.9 percentage points) but increased to 12.0 percentage points at age 16--19 years. In males, mean percentage body fat ranged from 22.9% at age
16--19 years to 30.9% at age 60--79 years. In females, mean percentage body fat ranged from 32.0% at age 8--11 years to 42.4% at age 60--79 years.
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