Body Fat Facts

"Facts About Body Composition and Body Fat"

Does body fat serve any useful purpose?

Absolutely! Following are several purposes of body fat:

• The storage of energy to be used by the body.
• Subcutaneous fat helps to provide warmth and protection for our bodies.
• Internal fat helps support and provide protection for the spinal cord, nerves, heart, and other vital organs.
• Body fat is also crucial in the metabolism of vitamins A, D, E, and K (these are fat soluble vitamins).

In short, you wouldn’t be able to survive without some body fat. The real problem is not body fat, it is excess body fat.

Although ideal body fat percentage varies among individuals for various reasons, a healthy body fat range for the average male is 11 to 24%. A healthy body fat range for the average woman is around 23 to 33%. These ranges apply to individuals from 20 to 80 years young.

What are some of the health risks with having too much body fat?

Excess body fat is associated with increased chances for heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

Emotional health and well being are also often at risk due to societal pressures on being thin.

For men over 25% and women over 33% body fat there is an increased risk of illness and disease.

Can you also have too little body fat?

Yes. Having too little body fat may also lead to serious health complications. Dehydration, starvation, decreased bone mass and menstrual disorders.

Thanks for visiting our site!

Sincerely,

The Staff at MOFC

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