Body Fat Percentage Calculator (U.S. Navy Method)
Estimate your body fat percentage using the U.S. Navy circumference method. This formula uses measurements of your waist, neck, and height (plus hip for women) to provide a reliable estimate without special equipment.
The U.S. Navy body fat formula was developed by Hodgdon and Beckett at the Naval Health Research Center. For men, the formula is: BF% = 86.010 × log₁₀(waist – neck) – 70.041 × log₁₀(height) + 36.76. For women: BF% = 163.205 × log₁₀(waist + hip – neck) – 97.684 × log₁₀(height) – 78.387. All measurements are in centimeters. While not as precise as DEXA scans or hydrostatic weighing, this method provides a reasonable estimate that correlates well with more sophisticated techniques.