55 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Body Composition and Percent Body Fat Now that we know how to safely and effectively lose weight (fat), let’s learn how much fat body fat is needed for good health. Body composition is any method of measure (e.g., skinfolds, hydrostatic weighing, air displacement plethysmography) used to determine the percentages of fat, muscle, bone, and water within the body. Table 3.6 provides the ideal body fat percentages for adult males and females (Bryant & Green, 2010). Table 3.6. Ideal Body Fat Percentages Description Males Females Essential Fat 2 - 5% 10 - 13% Athlete 6 - 13% 14 - 20% Fitness 14 - 17% 21 - 24% Average 18 - 24% 25 - 31% Obese 25% + 32% + There are two basic types of fat: subcutaneous and visceral. Subcutaneous fat is stored immediately below the dermis layer of the skin and is not necessarily hazardous to your health. However, visceral fat, which is the unseen fat stored around your internal organs, is considered to be hazardous to your health. In fact, visceral fat is linked to several metabolic disorders and diseases such as: insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of lipids (e.g., triglycerides, cholesterol) in the blood), and cancer. Figure 3.8 depicts the different types and location of fat. Figure 3.8. Visceral vs. Subcutaneous Fat The location of body fat also seems to play an important role in health and disease risk. Individuals who carry more fat around their waist are at a greater health and disease risk than individuals who carry it elsewhere in the body. Generally speaking, males accumulate more fat around their waist thus giving them an apple-shaped (aka android) appearance. Conversely, females generally accumulate more fat around their hips and buttocks thus giving them a pear-shaped (aka gynoid) appearance. Figure 3.9 depicts the two primary body fat distribution patterns.
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