>> The ideal fat percentage for men is 15%; for women it's 22%. Male athletes 
can have as little as 5% fat.  Women athletes can go as low as 12-15%.

> Interesting -   I just cant relate theese fat percentages to how people
actually look.

Well... The AVERAGE man in American is 22% body fat, and the average woman is 
32% body fat.  I have a really great book called "The Ultimate Fit or Fat" by 
Covert Bailey.  He has pictures of people at different percent body fat.  He 
makes the point that some people of normal weight--or even underweight--are 
"overfat".  He calls these people "thin fatties".  Conversely, not all big 
people are fat--sometimes it's all muscle. He has a picture of a skinny guy 
standing next to an older man who a barrel chest.  The skinny guy is 21% fat, 
and the barrel chested guy is 16% fat.  He has another picture with two 
women--one a hefty but solid looking, one very petit looking.  They are both 
26% body fat.  He explains that the petit woman has a higher percent fat than 
you'd expect because she's born children.

> Couldn'nt you give me  some examples .   For example what fat percentage did
Marilyn Monroe have?

Well, that's hard to say because her weight went up and down quite a bit.  In 
"Some Like it Hot" she weighed 135-140.  I'd say (based on my own body) she 
was about 26% body fat at that weight.  When I weighed about that amount 
(I've gained a little), I was about 26-28% body fat, and I'm the same height 
as she was.  I know she worked out because there are some pictures of her 
lifting weights at one of the gyms I go to.  Also, she talked about working 
out in interviews--called it "fighting gravity".

I'm currently about 32% body fat--the American female average.  I look a 
little "chunky"--just a little bit overweight.  Those girl gymnasts are about 
12% body fat.

     - Sheryl