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Fat is a form of energy required in each person's body. However, increased body fat will lead to weight gain and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, measuring body fat is very necessary.
1. You need to know about the existence of fat in the body
We all know excess fat is the enemy of beauty, but beauty goes hand in hand with health. Because of that, models or athletes are always very interested in the body that does not contain excess fat. In other words, fat can be understood as a type of fat that exists in the body. And saturated and unsaturated fats always exist with opposite functions. So, not all fat is bad.
Currently, we only know that if we gain weight quickly or are not slim, we are overweight, but we do not know how much we have. According to one coach, the body always has fat tissue and they are an essential part. Fat can be stored by the body to burn when it needs an energy source.
A body with a sufficient amount of active fat will increase metabolic capacity. From there, the heart and body activities are guaranteed. Fats come in many different varieties that can be distinguished by color. But the most common that we see and feel is subcutaneous fat. Fats in the body are both beneficial and harmful. Therefore, balancing the amount of fat in the body is something you need to pay attention to.
2. The difference in body fat of men and women
Although we use a common scale to measure body fat, there will be a certain difference with each meaningful ratio according to gender. According to a study measuring the percentage of body fat in men and women, the results are as follows:
Men:
Fat percentage 5 - 9% This is a figure that is considered low enough to survive. It is difficult for the average person to achieve this fat percentage. Even if you have 9% fat, you can still have six pack abs with a slim figure. With numbers below 5% can be considered as unrealistic. Our body will hardly be able to survive when the percentage of fat is as low as 5%.
Fat ratio 10 - 14% With this ratio, your body is still not considered to have stored too much fat. In contrast, the body in this fat percentage is better than 5-9%. You can choose this as your goal to balance body fat.
Fat ratio 15 - 19% In this ratio range, your body still maintains its positivity and shows signs of excess fat. However, you will have more muscle than someone with a low fat percentage
Fat ratio 20 - 24% This is a common ratio in normal people. The body has a fat ratio in this range, but not yet excess fat, but the firmness begins to loosen. You won't have abs, but you won't have any belly fat yet. This is considered an acceptable average rate.
Fat percentage 25 - 29% You contain 25 - 29% fat in the body, that is, you have entered the first stage of obesity. It is possible that the amount of fat that has not yet expressed itself, but it is easier to bring the body back to a balanced fat state from here when it accumulates more.
Fat ratio 30 - 34% This percentage of fat has tended to be redundant and it is no longer considered fat. Your muscles will gradually lose their firmness. When you touch it, it will feel soft and not firm.
Fat ratio 35 - 39% With this fat percentage your body has fallen into an alarming state. Health complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease are gradually increasing the risk nearly many times.
Women:
Fat percentage 5 - 9% Women if there is a fat percentage in this range need attention because it can be dangerous for them. Although your abs appear clearly, your health is what researchers are more interested in. With such a low amount of fat, you will not be healthy enough to maintain all activities.
Fat ratio 10 - 14% This is a low level for female athletes. You can also think of it as a goal to practice and strive for.
Fat ratio 15 - 19% If you are in the group that owns 15 - 19 % fat, your body will be quite muscular but not exist much fat. If you build an effective diet and exercise plan, you will be able to keep your body at this level.
Fat percentage 20 - 24% This is the average percentage of body fat. Although not perfect, women still reveal each and every curve of their body naturally. This level is also quite good if you do not need to keep your body fat percentage low. However, experts always expect you to maintain exercise to reduce inflammation and the risk of visceral fat accumulation.
Fat ratio 25 - 29% In this ratio, your body is softer and less muscular. However, the amount of excess fat is very little, so it is still within the allowable range. You can maintain this ratio, but pay attention to healthy living habits and proper nutrition to ensure health.
Fat ratio 30 - 34% You are getting closer to the risk of obesity with the softening of the abdominal muscles. Maybe you are starting to feel uncomfortable at this ratio and need to plan to lose fat to quickly get back in shape you love
Fat ratio 35 - 39% When the fat you reach 35 - 39% you You need an effective weight loss plan. Body fat in the range of more than 35% is a cause of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Thus, the percentage of female body fat is usually higher than that of men. However, in both subjects, if the ratio is higher than 35%, the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity is the same.
3. Instructions on how to measure body fat
Determine the percentage of fat, but we do not know how to measure body fat. Here are some common methods of measuring body fat:
Calipers The caliper will be used to clamp directly on the skin to determine the fat thickness.
Measure body circumference Measurement of waist, thighs, buttocks..... is always a meaningful indicator for us. You can measure, monitor and evaluate your body fat status easily.
Using X-rays to estimate fat composition. X-rays are capable of penetrating x-rays, and dual X-rays can also be used to estimate body fat.
Hydrostatic Weighing This is a method of weighing in water to assess body density.
Tomography You will have a tomography scan to calculate each component and then give the results.
Bioelectrical impedance analysis The body fat meter will carry an electric current to the body and analyze the appearance of fat.
3-D Body Fat Measurement Machine This is a machine that is able to completely simulate your body. Then, based on the model, the researchers built a balanced equation to calculate the percentage of body fat.
Multi-compartment separation model This is a method to help analyze fat by area with improved accuracy.
Percentage of body fat will not be the same for each person. However, the numbers given are for reference only and can be universally applied to many objects. References: healthline.com, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov