ON THE WELLNESS PAGE OF MY WEBSITE THERE IS A CHART LISTED THAT SHOWS THE percentage body fat for males and females. This chart is important because it points to a very important subject that most people looking to be thin are not aware of and that is “the too much fat factor’
Now that you’ve figured out your body type it’s important to discern how over fat you are. I say this because many people look at so called skinny people and think because they are thin that automatically makes them healthy. I can assure you that that is not the case. A healthy body is determined by optimal body fat to lean body mass ratio. This is vital in your search for a healthier and in most cases thinner you by giving you a guideline to go by. The fact is many thin people when measured by this guideline would be considered over fat. For example, a woman who weighs 125 pounds with 18% body fat (considered ideal) at age 20 by age 50 may weigh the same but without proper diet and exercise can gain fat while losing muscle so that by age 50 she has 30% body fat (considered high) and be classed as over fat. So it is important to gage overall health not by how much you weigh but by how much fat you have.
Dear Asare,
ReplyDeleteI visited your website and clicked on the BMI link which lead me to the BMI chart. As prompted by the website I inputed my height as well as my weight in order for the website to calculate my BMI. The result was a normal 23.6. Please excuse my ignorance, but this only means numbers to me, and I don't quite understand how this numerical answer defines "How Fat I Am".
Ms. David,
ReplyDeleteYou've raised a very important issue that must be cleared up so that all our readers can gain a better understanding of their body and how it works. There is a big difference between BMI (Body Mass Index) and Body Fat Composition. BMI is a measurement of body overweight or obesity but it falls short as a measure of body fat composition. Here is an example. Females with a BMI less than 27.3 are considered healthy and of normal weight. What the chart does not show is whether this person is sedentary (couch potato) or athletic (the person exercises). Meaning it does not take into account body fat versus lean tissue. Those who are athletic carry more lean muscle mass than fat. Since muscle is heavier than fat and BMI is calculated by weight x height squared, these people would be considered obese on the BMI chart. According to the BMI chart at 23.6 you are considered of normal weight and healthy. However, this is just a suggestion of your health. What Body Fat Composition does is measure your actual body fat content which can indicate a whole myriad of things. Body fat indication shows you how much actual fat is in your body and whether or not this is considered healthy for your age. People who are over fat can have health issues such as, obesity, shortness of breath, type 2 diabetes, you name it. That's why someone can have a BMI of 23.6 (considered normal) and yet have a dangerously high level of body fat ("a skinny fat person"). My suggestion to any one ready to take on the fitness challenge is to get your body fat measured. This will tell you whether you are a skinny fat person in need of serious rescue or if you are on the right fitness track. Happy results!
I believe, that what I don't know, won't hurt me. I excersice and try my very best to eat sensibly. The rest, I leave it up to my boss "GOD". I choose to be healthy not skinny. And I don't think I am interested in knowing what my body fat measurement is. :)
ReplyDeleteBut thank you kindly for your clear and expert advice.
Ms. David, thanks for your response but I will have to disagree about what your not knowing not hurting you. There are many people like you who say that they exercise and try to eat sensibly. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you are not speaking the truth. Did you know that with age our metabolism automatically slows down making it even more difficult to burn off those extra pounds? Someone who eats well and exercises, with age, because of a slower metabolism, will still accumulate fat little by little. Wouldn't it be best to know now so you can monitor it and keep it from going up? Most senior citizens would agree that if they could have one thing, it would be better health in their old age. I think the saying is "prevention is better than cure". Knowing your body fat measurement will help you in the long run. Happy results!
ReplyDeleteMr. Asare you make a very valid point. Thank You!!!!!!
ReplyDelete