Biomarkers · Anthropometric

Fat Mass

Both low and high values go with higher risk of death. No risk curve catalogued yet.

Published risk of death1.13×highest (Q5) vs middle (Q3) quintile of fat mass index (Q1 vs Q3: HR 1.32, 1.24-1.40) (95% CI 1.06–1.20) · Taiwan MJ Cohort health-screening adults (48.1% men), average follow-up 9 years

Fat Mass by age and sex

Each bar runs from the 5th to the 95th percentile, the darker part from the 25th to the 75th, and the tick is the median. Not a reference range or a target.

The percentiles as a table

Each row is one sex and age band: the values below which 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 95% of people fall (kg), from the survey named in the row. Not a reference range or a target.
Sex	Age	5th	25th	Median	75th	95th	n	Cycle / source
All	20-39	12.0	17.8	23.4	31.4	48.9	1,504	NHANES 2005-2006
All	40-59	14.2	21.1	28.1	36.4	54.4	1,433	NHANES 2005-2006
All	60-69	15.8	23.1	29.6	37.3	54.2	647	NHANES 2005-2006
All	all	13.0	19.8	26.4	34.6	52.7	3,584	NHANES 2005-2006
Men	20-39	10.7	16.7	21.8	28.8	44.5	797	NHANES 2005-2006
Men	40-59	12.5	19.9	25.9	32.8	49.3	712	NHANES 2005-2006
Men	60-69	13.8	21.5	26.8	33.4	46.4	324	NHANES 2005-2006
Men	all	11.7	18.5	24.2	31.3	47.1	1,833	NHANES 2005-2006
Women	20-39	13.8	19.2	25.9	34.8	52.1	707	NHANES 2005-2006
Women	40-59	15.3	22.7	30.6	40.0	59.2	721	NHANES 2005-2006
Women	60-69	16.9	25.3	32.7	40.8	59.5	323	NHANES 2005-2006
Women	all	14.5	21.5	29.0	38.3	57.0	1,751	NHANES 2005-2006

What studies found when this marker was changed

They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.

Measured changes in Fat Mass, study by study

8 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.

Each row is one study: what was changed, the effect it reported on this marker, and the source.
Type	Intervention	Reported effect	Evidence	Source
diet	Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets vs higher GI/GL diets in people with overweight or obesity	Fat mass fell 0.86 kg (95% CI -1.52 to -0.20) vs higher-GI/GL diets; duration not stated (trials 8 weeks to 18 months); 6 studies, n=295	meta-analysis	Chekima K, Yan SW, Lee SWH, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;6:CD005105.
exercise	Supervised resistance training combined with a calorie-restricted diet in adults with overweight or obesity	Whole-body fat mass -5.3 kg (95% CI -7.2 to -3.5) with resistance training plus caloric restriction vs no intervention	meta-analysis	Lopez P, Taaffe DR, Galvao DA, et al. Obes Rev. 2022.
pharmacologic	GLP-1 receptor agonist or GLP-1/GIP dual agonist therapy (e.g. semaglutide, tirzepatide) in adults	Fat mass reduced by 2.95 kg (95% CI -4.11 to -1.79) vs control	meta-analysis	Karakasis P, Patoulias D, Fragakis N, et al. Metabolism. 2025.
pharmacologic	Tirzepatide (dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist) vs placebo in adults in randomized trials of antidiabetic drugs	Fat mass fell 10.70 kg (95% CI -13.42 to -7.99) with tirzepatide vs placebo; duration not stated	meta-analysis	Rakhsha SS, Shahinfar H, Ebrahimi-Mousavi S, et al. Diabetes Obes Metab…
supplement	Oral L-carnitine supplementation, with greatest effect around 2000 mg/day	Fat mass reduced by 2.08 kg (95% CI -3.44 to -0.72) vs placebo	meta-analysis	Talenezhad N, Mohammadi M, Ramezani-Jolfaie N, et al. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2020.
supplement	Creatine (~7 g/day or 0.3 g/kg/day) combined with resistance training in adults under 50	Fat mass reduced by 0.73 kg (95% CI -1.34 to -0.11) vs resistance training alone	meta-analysis	Desai I, Wewege MA, Jones MD, et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2024.
supplement	Oral betaine supplementation vs control in randomized trials in humans	Total body fat mass fell 2.53 kg (95% CI -3.93 to -0.54) vs control; duration not stated; 6 RCTs, n=195	meta-analysis	Gao X, Zhang H, Guo XF, et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(10):E2480.
supplement	Calcium supplementation vs placebo or control for eight weeks to 24 months in people with overweight or obesity	Body fat mass changed -0.34 kg (95% CI -0.73 to 0.05) vs placebo or control; duration not stated (trials 8 weeks to 24 months); 12 studies, n=812	meta-analysis	Cormick G, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024;5:CD012268.

What else moves this marker

They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.

Environmental and occupational exposures

Each row is one study: what it compared and the change it reported in this marker.
What	Effect on the marker	Comparison · population	Source
↑ Maternal adiposity (prenatal exposure), offspring fat mass · Offspring fat mass with maternal adiposity (umbrella review of observational meta-analyses)	SMD +0.35	Offspring of mothers with adiposity vs without · Umbrella review of 194 observational meta-analyses (offspring of mothers with adiposity)	meta analysis · PMID 39394444

Sources

Ying et al. Association of fat mass and fat-free mass with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Asian individuals: A prospective cohort study. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2023;31:3043-3055.