Body fat is essential to your health. Your body stores fat to protect your internal organs, for energy storage and it is used as an insulator. In the field of sports medicine, a female athlete is restricted from playing a sport if her body fat is below 12 percent, according to SportsMD.com. This is far lower than the healthy recommended body fat percentage for women.
What Is A Healthy Body Fat Percentage?
The ideal body fat percentage is 20 to 21 percent for women. According to PubMed Health, the average woman in the United states has between 22 to 25 percent body fat. If you are below 10 percent body fat, you are in the unhealthy range. SportsMD.com states that healthy female athletes can have a lower body fat percentage, but it should fall in the 16 to 22 percent range.
Healthy Body Composition
In addition to a body fat percentage, you should evaluate your body mass index. This calculation will assess your weight compared to your height. If you have a low body fat percentage, you may also have a low BMI, which would classify you as underweight for your size. To increase your body weight and body fat, you need to consume more calories than you burn. In general a healthy body weight for a woman is 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height and an additional 5 pounds for each additional inch of height.
Health Problems
A low body weight and body fat percentage can lead to hormonal changes and low mineral content in your bones from a reduced caloric intake, according to SportsMD.com. This can lead to health problems such as cessation of the menstrual cycle and osteoporosis. If you have developed a low body weight and body fat percentage from rapid unexplained weight loss, you need to talk to your doctor. Sudden weight loss can be caused by thyroid problems, cancer, infectious diseases and digestive diseases.
Considerations
Eating disorders are a common source of a low body weight and a low body fat percentage. Conditions such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia are dangerous to your health. According to PubMed Health, excessive intentional weight loss can cause you to be dangerously underweight, which can result in health problems. To gain weight, you need to speak to your doctor and a registered dietitian for help to develop a healthy eating plan.
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