What Do You Understand by Body Fat?
By Amaechi Paul, 16th Apr 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutHealthDiet & Nutrition
Body weight could be categorized under two headings. The first is called "lean body mass," which comprises muscles, bones and organs. The second is 'body fat.'
What Do You Understand by Body Fat?
Body weight could be categorized under two headings. The first is called "lean body mass," which comprises muscles, bones and organs. The second is 'body fat.' The balance of lean body weight to body fat varies from person to person and there is no universal ideal, as our basic body shapes are determined largely by hereditary factors. However, there are recognized guidelines for what constitutes a healthy percentage of body fat and our objective this year should be to achieve the ideal body weight; that is lean body mass.
Body fat is the tissue in and around the muscles that is made up of fat cells. It is these fat cells that burn very slowly to sustain the body when food is scare. However, since food in our society is rarely scarce as increase in obese people shows, any excess consumed get stored in our bodies as fat cells just below the skin. When these cells get full, they divide to form new cells ready to be filled. Half a kilogram of body fat is equivalent to 3800 keals. Grabbing a thin slice of cake every day for just two weeks is enough to create these keals. It is, therefore, very easy to accumulate weight, especially if we are leading a sedentary lifestyle or not paying attention to what we eat and drink.
Our daily calorie requirement is based on our Basal Metabolic Rate (BRM) while our weight is based on our Body Mass Index (BMR) and not those figures you see on the scale that make you lose hope and not excess weight. Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy required to keep your resting body provided with energy for one day. One of the main influences on your BMR is your individual body composition, the faster and more efficient your BMR. This is because a muscle cell, even at rest is metabolically more active than a fat cell, therefore gaining lean body mass over body fat will make your body more efficient and look great.
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