Body fat percentage can’t drop, healthily, all the way to zero – the body needs a baseline called “essential fat” just to function: roughly 2-5% in men and 10-13% in women, according to the categories used in exercise physiology.
The gap between those two thresholds isn’t random: essential fat in women directly supports hormonal and reproductive function, which is why a percentage “as low as a man’s” would actually be a medical problem, not a fitness goal.
Drop below these thresholds and real risks appear – hormonal imbalances, bone issues, chronic fatigue – which is why even elite athletes rarely sit at the absolute minimum, no matter how lean they look on the surface.
A low body fat number can look impressive on paper, but the body still needs a floor to function normally.
See also: