The equations (metric, cm)
- Men: body fat % = 495 ÷ (1.0324 − 0.19077 × log10(waist − neck) + 0.15456 × log10(height)) − 450
- Women: body fat % = 495 ÷ (1.29579 − 0.35004 × log10(waist + hip − neck) + 0.22100 × log10(height)) − 450
Worked examples
- Man, height 175 cm, waist 85 cm, neck 38 cm: 16.9% body fat.
- Woman, height 160 cm, waist 75 cm, hip 98 cm, neck 32 cm: 30.3% body fat.
How accurate is it?
Tape-measure methods are estimates. Results usually land within a few percentage points of lab methods, but they can be off for very lean or very muscular people. The method is most useful for tracking change: measure the same way every few weeks and watch the trend.
Try it yourself. Get your own result in seconds with the free Body Weight Calculator.
Open the Body Weight CalculatorFrequently asked questions
What measurements does the Navy method need?
Height, neck and waist for men; height, neck, waist and hips for women.
Is the Navy method better than BMI?
It estimates body fat directly, which BMI cannot, but it is still an estimate.
Sources
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Written and reviewed by the editorial team at Evavel Private Limited. Found an error? Email [email protected].