Is 12% Body Fat Considered Lean?
                                
                                
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                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                For men, a 12% body fat level is widely considered to be in the athletic and lean category, but for women, it borders on the essential fat range and can be dangerously low. The key takeaway is that whether 12% body fat is considered lean depends entirely on an individual's gender, as health implications vary significantly between men and women.