Body fat is something that most of us are scared of having. However, having body fat is actually very useful and important for our body. This, nevertheless, should only be within the normal range of body fat. Gaining too much adipose or fat tissue in our body is already considered unhealthy. This can lead to overweight or even obesity. Because of these factors, it is necessary for us to maintain our body fat level in normal conditions. This makes us ask the question; what should my body fat be?
When we tend to lose weight, we are generally aiming to burn excess fats in our body. Nevertheless, unlike our weight or height, body fat cannot be measured using a simple weighing scale of tape measure. This amount in the body is usually represented into percentages. These numbers basically shows or exhibits the total percent of fat that our body contains. So in case out total weight is 160 lbs, and our body percent fat is 15%, this means that 15% of our weight is made up of fats, which in this case is about 24 lbs. The other 136 lbs is made up of lean mass including muscle, bones, blood and even organ tissues. In addition to this, the body fat percentage also depends on several factors. These factors include the gender of the individual and as well as the age. So what is the appropriate fat percentage of our body?
Actually there are no exact percentages that can be applied to all when it comes to determining the right amount of fat in the body. This calculations and measurement usually varies from one source to another. Nevertheless, they are still closely similar to each other. According to the American Council on Exercise, body fat percentages are classified into five types or categories namely the essential fat, athletes’ fat, fitness, acceptable range and obesity. These types also vary on both sexes. Among women, essential fat should be in between 10 to 12 %. While on men, it only ranges from 2 to 4%. Athletes’ level of fat basically ranges from 14 to 20% in women and 6 to 13% in men. Fitness level consists of 21 to 24% for the females and 14 to 17 % for the males. The acceptable range of fat goes from 25 to 31% in women and 18 to 25% in men. The obese, on the other hand, has fats that are more than 32% in women and 25% in men.
These are the normal measurements or ranges of fats in our body. It is important for us to learn how to keep them within the normal level and prevent it from going out of bounds. Nevertheless, it is still important to have these fats in our body since it helps in a lot of things like regulating the temperature, storing energy and cushioning vital organs and glands in the body.
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