What's Fat?

When God created men, He created them equal…but he created women with more fat. Sigh.  Women have 25% - 30% of fat while men have 18% - 23% of fat (expressed as a percentage of body weight). 

Then again, when you ask real men what they look in a woman, he’ll probably say, “those with curves and a slight bump around their tummy…quite sexy,” or so I’ve been told.  Yet, still, there are many women (and men) who cry over that psychologically traumatizing existence of FAT! 

Do we know, however, the purpose of fat?  Fat actually has a role to play and has two main purposes:

1) Fat stores excess calories safely for the body to burn when hungry,

2) Fat also releases hormones that control metabolism (read my article on ‘That thing called Metabolism Part 1 & 2).

However, an excess proportion of total body fat causes obesity.  One becomes obese when his/her weight is more than 20% of the normal weight based on height and gender. Based on the common BMI calculation, a person with over 30 BMI is considered as obese.  If you are between 25 – 29.9, you are considered as overweight.

*Note: BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilos with your height in meters squared; or by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703, then dividing by your height in inches squared.

I found this site that I thought would be beneficial to my Asian readers:  

http://aadi.joslin.org/content/bmi-calculator, and

I found this site for my non-Asian readers:

http://www.best-running-tips.com/bmi-calculator.html

But, you may want to know that medically, abdominal or belly fat is viewed as a bigger health risk than fat presenting itself elsewhere on the body.  It has an effect on insulin resistance that could boost the risk of diabetes, level of fats in the blood, and also boost heart and stroke risks.   An apple-shaped body associated with having belly fat is also the most associated with heart disease, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes (as opposed to those who are lean or with a pear-shaped body).

The Relationship between Fat and Calories

In one pound of fat is 3,500 calories. So, if you’re planning to lose 1 pound, you will need to burn off 3,500 calories.  You can shave off your calories food intake by day or use up more through physical activities if your want to drop that pound within a week.  A combination is always best, but always remember…everything must be done in moderation.

You can drop a note at admin@tnffitworks.com if you’d like an advise on a healthy weekly diet (with supplements if you like), if you are planning to start on a diet and exercise program.

What good can FAT do for me?

We all need fat…just not too much.  Fat helps the body absorb and move vitamins A, D, E and K through the bloodstream, which maintains healthy skin and hair.

And if you’re trying to loose weight, the more fat your carry the faster your metabolism is likely to run (you can close your gaping mouth because it’s true!).  That is why many find themselves losing weight more at the beginning of their diet and exercise regime than later.  This is because when one is overweight or carrying more fat, the metabolic rate is already running at a high, that any small cut in calories (with added exercise) will result in an immediate loss.  Cool eh?

Well, that is some of the Fat Facts I gathered from my weekly reading.  Hope it helps.  I will definitely keep all of you updated, as I am also looking forward to a healthier and slimmer 2012.  Happy New Year!!!

*article is based on information extracted from WebMD