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#Post#: 58--------------------------------------------------
Your Body Fat Percentage: What Does It Mean?
DIR By: LightMove
Date: November 18, 2021, 3:06 am
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The bathroom scale is a standard tool for anyone trying to get
into better shape. Many either dread or anticipate what that
little scale will say. But can the scale tell you the whole
story? While it may be a good idea to keep tabs on your weight,
it is also important to understand what makes up your weight.
Body composition refers to the proportion of fat you have,
relative to lean tissue (muscles, bones, body water, organs,
etc). This measurement is a clearer indicator of your fitness.
No matter what you weigh, the higher percentage of body fat you
have, the more likely you are to develop obesity-related
diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke,
and type 2 diabetes.
Overfat Versus Overweight
Your body mass index (BMI) is a measurement that takes your
height into account. Health professionals use BMI to calculate
whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or
obese. For most people, BMI is closely associated with the
amount of body fat they carry. To calculate your BMI, divide
your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. The
guidelines are:
Interpreting Body Mass Index
Weight Status
BMI
Underweight
Below 18.5
Normal
18.5-24.9
Overweight
25.0-29.9
Obese
30.0 and above
The problem with BMI is that it does not work for everyone. Some
people’s weight and height measurements put them in the
overweight or even obese category while, in reality, they are
lean and muscular. On the other hand, some people’s BMI
indicates that they are healthy, when they are actually
overweight, with little lean tissue and too much fatty tissue.
So, whether or not your BMI indicates that you are overweight,
it is important to find out if you are carrying too much body
fat.
Measuring Your Body Fat
There are several ways you can find out your percentage of body
fat. If you have ever had your body composition tested at a gym
or by a dietitian, it may have been tested with calipers.
Calipers are small clamp-like devices that determine the amount
of fat you have lying just below the skin by taking skinfold
measurements at various locations on your body, such as the back
of your arm and your waistline. Health professionals use these
skinfold measurements in equations that estimate body fat.
Calipers are widely used because they are inexpensive and easy
to use, but they are less accurate than other methods. Other
ways of measuring body fat include:
Underwater weighing—Under water, lean tissue sinks and fat
floats. Your underwater weight can be used to estimate the
amount of fat mass you carry. Underwater weighing is highly
accurate, but it can be expensive and time consuming, and it
requires special equipment.
The Bod Pod—This machine works by measuring the amount of air
your body displaces. Like underwater weighing, the Bod Pod is
highly accurate, but it can be expensive and requires special
equipment. The Bod Pod is, however, slightly more convenient
than underwater weighing, since it does not require underwater
submersion. The Bod Pod also takes less time.
Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan—The DEXA scan uses
low-level x-rays to calculate the amount of body fat, muscle,
and bone in your body. The advantages of this scan are that it
is quick and it takes bone into consideration when comparing
body fat to muscle.
Bioelectrical impedance—This method works by measuring the speed
of an electrical current as it travels through your body. It is
one of the least expensive methods of measuring body fat. It is
less subject to human error than calipers, but its accuracy
depends on a number of factors, including hydration, the
fullness of the stomach, and how recently a person has
exercised. If you are looking for a way to keep track of your
body fat percentage at home, you can buy a bioelectrical
impedance scalesuch as
BodyPedia.
HTML https://bodypedia.ytmfinnovation.com/
Healthy Body Fat Percentages
So, what should your body fat percentage be? A study in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the following
information based on your sex and age:
Body Fat Guidelines
Age
Healthy Body Fat % (Women)
Healthy Body Fat % (Men)
20-39
21%-32%
8%-19%
40-59
23%-33%
11%-21%
60-79
24%-35%
13%-24%
As you can see, women naturally have a higher body fat to lean
tissue ratio than men, and body fat naturally increases with
age.
Reducing Your Body Fat
When it comes to losing weight, the key is to eat fewer calories
than you expend. If you do this, AND exercise, you will lose
body fat. Your body was designed to store fat so it would have
reserves of energy during famine. When you take in fewer
calories than you expend, during exercise and rest, your body
burns these fat reserves. Be sensible, however—if you eat too
few calories or cut out all carbohydrates, the weight you lose
will likely be fluids and muscle, not fat. In this case the
scale will go down, but your body fat percentage will go up,
rendering you less healthy. The Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics recommends losing weight slowly—½ to 1 pound per
week—and continue exercising to maximize fat loss and minimize
muscle loss.
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