Hi New Here BF% refers to that percentage of your body that is just fat, nothing but fat. The rest is Lean Body Mass (LBM) - water, muscle, organs, bones - everything but fat. So, yes, it's possible for people who weigh more to have a lower BF% than someone who is weighs less; it's all about the percentages.

You should be careful not to confuse BF% with BMI (Body Mass Index). The two are very different.

BMI is a calculation using height and weight designed to calculate body fat, however it has drawbacks and it's not a good way to actually determine body fat %. It does not take into account lean body mass, so healthy individuals with a lot of lean mass and low body fat can get readings saying they are overweight or obese. While it's possible to have the same BMI and the same BF% it's not necessary. The relation between fatness and BMI is influenced by age and gender. For example, women are more likely to have a higher percent of body fat than men for the same BMI. At the same BMI, older people have more body fat than younger adults.

A good example would be someone who lifts weights.

If we take a body builder with the following stats: weight 220 lbs., height 6'2", BF 9% and enter them into the BMI calculator we get a BMI of 27.5 - By BMI standards this person is overweight, by body fat % standards he's in amazing shape, which is the most accurate?

What is normal BF? It varies from men to women and from age group to age group. The elderly have a higher BF% than the young and women have a higher BF% than men. Determing a good range will depend on where you sit in those variables.

Here's a little more in depth info on BF% : using BF% as goal if you follow this post to the end you'll find a chart with examples of BF% for women at various ages. In the following post you'll find one for men as well.

Cheers,
Nat