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WHAT IS BODY FAT?
Fat is one of the basic components that make up the
structure of your body. The other components include muscle, water, bone and
your organs - the brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, pancreas, and
intestines. etc. All are necessary for normal, healthy functioning.
Body fat can be divided into two categories: Essential fat and
storage fat.
As its name implies, essential fat is necessary for normal,
healthy functioning. It is stored in small amounts in your bone marrow, organs,
central nervous system and muscles.
In men, essential fat is approximately 3 percent of body weight.
Women, however, have a higher percentage of essential fat - about 12 percent.
This is because their essential fat also includes some sex-specific fat found
in the breasts, pelvis, hips and thighs. This sex-specific fat is believed to
be critical for normal reproductive function.
Storage fat is the other type of body fat. This is the fat you
accumulate beneath your skin, in certain specific areas inside your body, and
in your muscles. It also includes the deep fat that protects your internal
organs from injury. Men and women have similar amounts of storage fat.
It is desirable to have some storage fat due to the protective
role it plays in your body. However, most storage fat is considered to be
"expendable". Storage fat:
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