In terms of your overall health, maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is just as important as your total weight. Metabolic syndrome is a group of factors that increase your risk of developing certain chronic disease, including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. Excessive abdominal fat tissue is one of the factors in metabolic syndrome. But determining your right body fat percentage is not as easy as it sounds. It depends on your age, your level of activity, bone structure and the amount of lean mass you have.
Body Composition
Before considering how much body fat you should have, first take a look at your overall body composition. This considers how much lean muscle mass you have, your bone structure, your waist to hip ratio and the amount of fat you have relative to the amount of lean muscle mass you have. Fat is a necessary component of your body composition. Fat provides your body with energy stores, protects your organs and helps regulate vital bodily functions. Women who have too little body fat may experience missed menstrual periods and have infertility problems. A fitness expert can help determine your body composition. Many fitness centers will do this for a fee.
Measuring Body Fat
Your body composition analysis will determine your current percentage of body fat. But to get a precise measurement, it is important that this be performed in a certain way. Many fitness centers will use a skinfold caliper test, but this is not entirely accurate. According to MayoClinic.com, the three accurate ways to measure body fat are underwater weighing, air displacement plethysmography and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In underwater weighing, your underwater weight is used to calculate body fat. With air displacement, you are placed in a computerized chamber and your body volume helps determine your body fat. With DXA, a special X-ray determines your ratio of muscle, fat and bones.
BMI
Your body mass index is another useful tool in determining your proper body fat percentage. Your BMI is based on your height and weight. A BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 means you are at a healthy weight and 25 to 29 means that you are overweight. But BMI has its limitations. If you are healthy but muscular, you may have a high BMI, even though you have very little body fat.
Ideal Body Fat
The National Institutes of Health has recommendations for the healthy amount of body fat for men and women. For women, the recommended body fat percentage is 20 percent to 21 percent. For men, the NIH recommended level is 13 percent to 17 percent. But these figures should only be considered advisory. If you are physically active or an athlete, your levels will likely be lower. You may have a higher percentage of body fat but still be healthy. It is best to speak with your physician or a nutritionist to help determine your ideal level of body fat.
Decrease Body Fat
Decreasing your level of body fat will require not only diet, but also exercise and strength training. Strength training is especially important as you get older. As you age, your lean body mass decreases and your fat levels increase. Eating a healthy diet high in fiber and low in saturated fat helps, but exercise helps your body expend excess calories. Strength training can help you increase your muscle mass and lean muscle also helps you burn more calories.
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