Fat has a bad rap in society today. Fat is viewed as the “black sheep” of the essential nutrients. This has gotten people to be deathly scared of it; everything is low-fat or non-fat now-a-days. In fact some cut it out of their diet completely. Not good. Fat as I said earlier is an essential nutrient used for many bodily functions, such as temperature regulation (insulation), lubrication for the joints, and mainly it is used as energy for our everyday low intensity actions (i.e. sitting, walking, breathing, living). So don’t be afraid of fat, just make sure it is coming from good sources like lean meats, olive oil, nuts, etc.
Many people, when they think about body composition or fat-loss, the first thing they look at is body-weight. Well the only problem with that is that there are many other things that affect overall body weight other than fat. Bones, blood, organs and skeletal muscle all have a significant effect on bodyweight as well. We would like them to be the main influence of bodyweight but it isn’t always the case.
With that being said the best way to measure how much fat you have is to determine your body fat percentage. The most commonly used calculator is the skin fold caliper. It is fairly easy to use (a couple of pinches and your done) and is the most accurate next to dunking you underwater (hydrostatic weighing) and measuring how much of you is floating (fat floats).
The American Council on Exercise has established a classification chart labeling categories and ranges of body fat for men and women:
| Classification |
Women |
Men |
| ESSENTIAL FAT |
10-12% |
2-4% |
| ATHLETES |
14-20% |
6-13% |
| FITNESS |
21-24% |
14-17% |
| ACCEPTABLE |
25-31% |
18-25% |
| OBESE |
32% + |
25% + |
Women have a generally higher percentage of body fat due to their need to protect and feed a pre-born fetus, and also due to functions relating to the menstrual cycle. Unusually low body fat levels can negatively affect these functions as well as other normal bodily functions.
So if you are concerned about your “weight”, get off the scale and find a skin fold caliper expert. Body fat is an essential part of healthy living, but the wrong kind (or too much of the right kind) can be debilitating.
