Women need a higher body fat percentage than men because of body design. Men naturally have more muscle mass than women, but it is still important that women keep their body fat percentage in a healthy range to look and feel their best.
Body Composition
Fat is a necessary component of the body. Your body's two tissues include lean mass -- made up of muscle, organs, bones and water -- and fat mass, which includes essential and nonessential fats. As a woman, your body was designed to have a higher amount of essential fat than a man has. These essential fats are necessary for your body to function properly, and nonessential fats are the excess fat your body uses for energy stores.
Men and Women
The website Health Status explains that as a woman, you are healthier with a body containing a higher amount of fat than a man. As a woman, you need more body fat for a safe pregnancy. Women also carry fat in their hips and breast tissue, where men need not carry fat. This fat storage is necessary for your reproductive system to work properly.
Healthy Women
A healthy body fat percentage for a woman is between 15 and 25 percent. A man however, has a healthy body fat percentage when it falls between 10 to 15 percent. As a woman, if you have a body fat percentage above 30, you are considered obese. A high body fat percentage can lead to health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and even sleep apnea.
Keep Healthy Range
Watching your diet and exercising regularly will help you keep a healthy body fat percentage. Include regular aerobic exercise into your daily lifestyle by completing at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Also weight-train two to three days a week to gain more lean mass and alter your body composition. Choose to eat healthy foods, such as lean meats, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and low-fat dairy products to prevent excess weight gain.
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