The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one-third of all adults are classified as obese, defined as a body mass index of 30 or greater. Overweight and obesity occur when you consume more calories than you body uses. Dietary fat...
Body weight consists of muscle, bone, fluids and fat. Excess body fat places a load on the body and can be a health risk, depending on the percentage of body fat. Men tend to gain body fat in the belly region, and this makes them more at risk for...
Body fat percentage is the amount of fat your body contains. It can also be a measure of how fit a person is at a given time. The ratio between body fat and lean muscle is important for metabolic rate and overall fitness conditioning. Normal body...
Women are generally lighter in weight, have less muscle mass and have a greater overall percentage of body fat, than men. These differences result in women needing fewer total fat grams per day than men, though all adults need similar amounts....
Your body fat percentage indicates how much fat you carry when related to your body weight, according to Dr. Michael Hall, a family practitioner in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Your body fat percentage represents stored body fat and essential body...
If you are striving to become healthier, you may have heard about body fat percentage testing. These tests determine how much of your body weight is comprised of fat versus muscle. For adults, there are tables that list healthy body fat percentage...
Body fat is an important consideration for women attempting to maintain and optimize health. Too much body fat is associated with diseases of obesity. Experts at the Mayo Clinic note that obesity "increases your risk of...health problems, such as...
Women are overwhelmed with information regarding losing body fat and keeping it off, but a certain amount of body fat is normal and important to health. A healthy amount of body fat cannot be determined by the clothing size you buy or how you...
A direct measure of body fat is one of the best indicators of overall health. It can be personally administered by something like a skinfold test, but more sophisticated measurements can be given by a doctor. It is also important to keep in mind...
Your body mass index, or BMI, is sometimes referred to as your body fat index. A slightly different measurement of body fatness is called body fat percentage, and this is a more accurate depiction of just how much body fat you have. Knowing your...
Body composition, the amount of lean body tissue and fat tissue a person has, is one way to evaluate health and fitness. There are many ways to measure body composition, such as body mass index and body fat percentage. Body fat percentage is an...
Athletes are undoubtedly among the fittest people in the world. They spend long hours conditioning their bodies for competitions at the highest levels. This translates into a higher ratio of lean muscle as opposed to body fat. For example, in...
Body fat percentage is a measure of your body composition, or the percentage of your weight that is comprised of lean muscle mass versus fat. Having too high a proportion of body fat, even if you are of normal weight, puts you at risk for certain...
The composition of your body can be measured and divided into two areas: fat mass, also known as body fat; and fat-free mass, which is everything else such as bones, muscles, organs, tissues, blood and fluid. Your body fat percentage is the ratio...
Variables such as sex, age and race affect the "normal" body fat percentage, but as a general index, women with body fat of greater than 30 percent are considered obese. Because of the difficulties of accurately measuring body fat, doctors use the...
Body fat percentage is the percentage of fat that makes up your body. The remaining amount of your body's weight results from lean body mass, including body organs, tissues, blood, bone and muscle. If you weigh 180 lbs., and you have 10 percent...
Body fat percentage is more than just the percentage of fat in the body; it is also a measure of fitness. Because men and women's bodies have different compositions and, therefore their body fat ratios are different. What is considered a normal...
Recommended body fat percentages differ between men and women, and what's considered "normal" is somewhat unknown. Due to genetics, men typically hold a lower amount of body fat than women. It's advantageous for most athletes to maintain fairly...
"Normal" body fat percentages for men vary across age and ethnic groups, according to CDC research that used dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans to test body composition. Among a representative sample of American males between ages 8 to...
While many women look in the mirror and complain about the fat they see, what a lot of them don't realize is that everyone requires a certain amount of fat for the body to function properly. However, too much or too little fat can cause health...
A normal or healthful body fat percentage for adults is based on gender. Maintaining a healthful body fat percentage can reduce your risk for developing certain health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Guidelines exist to help you...
Women swimmers depend on a strong upper body to power through the water, but also benefit from healthy levels of body fat to enhance flotation. Since severe calorie limitation can interfere with performance and recovery, it's important to maintain...
You won’t find a single figure that can be used in assessing the normal body fat percent of a girl. Instead there is a body fat percentage range that you can use to evaluate whether a girl is healthy, underweight or overweight. A girl's body...
It is necessary for the human body to have some fat. Fat cushions the organs and insulates bodily systems. Excess body fat, however, has detrimental effects on general well-being, such as contributing to heart disease and hindering athletic...
The normal amount of fat an adult should get per day is between 20 and 35 percent of his daily calories. The American Heart Association indicates that you probably don't need as much fat as you're getting from your diet; fat is a calorie-heavy...
While nobody wants to be obese, it is important to realize that your body responds differently to diet and exercise as you age. Your metabolism slows down, so you begin to gain weight eating the same amount you always have. If you haven't been...
Being chubby is usually a no-no for adults. But for those little ones, baby fat can be a thing of endearment. It can be difficult, however, to know when your bundle of joy has crossed the line from being pudgy and cute to being overweight....
Body fat percentage refers to the portion of the human body made up of fat. Very athletic people tend to have high percentages of muscle and low fat percentages, though some weight lifters may be both muscular and fat. Sedentary people tend to...
All men are built differently. You may naturally have more muscle than other men, or you may tend to carry a bit more fat. However, there is a healthy and normal body fat range. Keeping your body fat percentage at a healthy range will help prevent...
Learn how to buy the best marble steak at the grocery store in this free video clip about finding fresh food and produce.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder wherein prolonged periods of self-starvation are followed by binge eating and purging. Learn about bulimia nervosa in this eating disorder video.
Colon polyps are a small clump of cells that form on the lining of the colon. Although the great majority of colon polyps are harmless, some may become cancerous over time. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments for polyps,...
