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 Precision Fitness
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Health Tips
Body Fat vs. Body Weight
Total body fat is deposited in different sections of the body and is classified as essential fat and storage fat. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues, and is the main form of the body's energy storage. Essential fat is stored in the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, muscles, bone marrow, and lipid-rich tissues throughout the central nervous system. Females hold additional essential fat in the mammary glands and pelvic region.
What we normally think of when we mention body fat is the fat stored beneath the skin surface. Measuring body fat is important for determining fitness. There are numerous methods used to determine body fat. Two commonly used methods are the Bioelectrical Impedance scales and Skinfold Thickness.
Weight alone is not a clear indicator of good health because it does not distinguish between pounds that come from body fat and those that come from lean body mass or muscle. Carrying too much fat is a condition called obesity, and puts a person at risk for many serious medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes and even certain forms of cancer. In fact, obesity contributes to at least half the chronic diseases in western society.
Not all pounds are the same. Overweight means an excess of total body weight based on population averages for heights and body frame sizes. Athletes and very muscular people may be overweight, but that does not mean they are over fat. Obesity means an excess of body fat regardless of weight. Body fat percentage ranges differ for men and women and include an allowance for age.
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