Body fat is one of those confusing body issues that we know is bad, but don’t know exactly how to get rid of. Essentially, your body composition is made up of bone, muscle and, yes, fat. You have significant control over your bone, fat and muscle. You can actually control the quality and quantity of all three by your lifestyle choices—how you treat your body each and every day. What you eat, your level of physical activity, and your genetic pool mostly determine body fat. Even if you think you have been cursed with ‘bad genes,’ you should know that there are many things you can do to help control your body fat.
Get to Know Your Body Composition
In order to control your body fat, you will need to know your body composition. Excess body fat and muscle that is not lean enough not only makes you susceptible to being overweight, it also makes you susceptible to any number of diseases. When you have too much body fat, your body will naturally feel overburdened, and this can lead to long-term damage of your weight-bearing joints, including your hips, ankles, knees and lower back.
Understanding Body Fat Numbers
There are many calculations and numbers associated with body fat, but what are good and bad fat numbers? In general, here are some simple guidelines that can help you understand so-called good and bad fat numbers. Generally speaking, good body fat numbers for men should range anywhere from15 to 25 percent. As men age, it is normal for their fat numbers to extend slightly beyond this range. However, a fat range of 30 percent or more should be a definite cause for concern. This type of body fat number is strongly linked with serious health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
Body Fat Numbers and Women
For women, the body fat numbers are different. Women naturally carry more body fat than men. When women enter adolescence, it is normal for them to reach a body fat range of 12 to 15 percent, and then quickly shoot up to 18 to 25 percent. Women naturally produce and need more body fat because their bodies are preparing them for pregnancy. The thighs, buttocks, hips and breasts are all involved in creating the nutrients that are needed to feed a newborn infant. As for a healthy adult woman, her ideal body fat range should lie somewhere between 20 to 25 percent. As a woman ages and enters maturity, it is normal for her to create more body fat. However, as a woman enters menopause, it is important for her to remain as close to 25 percent body fat as possible. Getting to 30 percent body fat or beyond is strongly linked with disease and health complications.
Why Measuring Body Fat is More Important Than Counting Calories
Many women spend the entirety of their lives counting calories, when it is actually more important to measure body fat. While they struggle to keep their weight down, many women unknowingly allow their body fat to creep back up. In order to feel good and be truly healthy, pay attention to how many fats your body is carrying. Why is it so dangerous to carry around excessive body fat? Excessive body fat is strongly linked to many cancers, including breast cancer. Fat, especially belly fat has also been linked to diabetes and heart problems.
Keep Your Waistline and Health In Check
An easy way to measure whether you are keeping your body fat under control is to measure your waistline. Using a tape measure, measure your waistline across the belly button. For men, a healthy waistline should measure less than 40 inches. For women, a healthy waistline should measure less than 35 inches.
