Body Fat

By Karen Asp

These days fat gets a bad rap. But it is, in fact, an essential ingredient for good health. Not only does fat help cushion the organs, it also stores energy and helps regulate body temperature.

Fat becomes problematic when people carry more of it than they need, making them vulnerable to numerous health conditions. Heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes have all been linked to excess body fat, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass., and author of several fitness books.

Genes, Gender and Lifestyle
It's no secret that women tend to have more body fat than men. And that's not the only gender difference: Whereas men usually carry fat in their waist, women have more fat cells in their hips and thighs. As women enter middle-age, fat often begins accumulating in their mid-sections. Unfortunately, men's tendency toward apple-shaped figures sets them up for bigger problems: "The accumulation of men's fat around their abdomens, which is dangerously close to vital organs like the heart, may be one reason men succumb to heart disease so much earlier in life than women," Westcott says.

Your genes also factor into your body fat, determining your shape and how many fat cells you have at birth. The good news, though, is that your lifestyle choices, like eating healthfully and exercising regularly, can help you lose body fat -- or keep it in a healthy range.

What's Healthy?
For men, the ideal range is between 12 and 16 percent body fat, Westcott says. Women, on the other hand, should strive for between 18 to 24 percent. (Keep in mind that of those numbers, two to four percent is essential fat for men while women's essential fat falls between 10 and 12 percent.) To determine whether you're in a healthy range, you can have your body fat tested by a fitness professional or calculate your body mass index (BMI).

To lower your body fat, Westcott recommends taking a three-pronged approach: Follow a healthy diet, engage in aerobic activity most days of the week and do strength training two or three times a week.