body fat

LEVELS OF BODY FAT

 
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Body fat is stored in fat cells. Everyone is born with a specific number of fat cells. This number does not change. Of course there are exceptions to every rule and there are two instances during which there is change:
  1. During puberty when the number of fat cells increase.
  2. If someone becomes extremely obese (> 60% body fat/ > than 170% normal body weight), fat cells would have reached their limit in terms of size and hence more fat cells are produced to accommodate the extra fat required for storage.
When people put on weight, what does change is the size of these fat cells – they may grow bigger or shrink in size. Therefore, when adults lose body fat there is a reduction in the size of the fat cells of the body. Fat is stored in various places around the body and depends on your gender. Both men and women will have a small store of fat in the liver, and some around the kidneys. Women tend to cary fat around the breast, on the waist, hips and bottom. Men store fat on the chest, abdomen and bottom.
Average body fat percentages vary between men and women, as well as between different age groups.

Body Fat Rating Scale

Women

Men

Essential Fat

10 - 13%

2 - 5 %

Lean (Athlete)

14 – 20%

6 – 13%

Average (Fitness)

21 – 24 %

14 – 17%

Acceptable

25 – 31%

18 – 25%

Obese

≥32%

≥26%

    

Typical average body fat for athletes

Women

Men

Triathlon

10 – 15%

5 – 12%

Swimmers

10 – 16%

6 – 12%

Marathon Runners

10 – 16%

5 – 10%

Olympic Gymnasts

11 – 14%

5 – 8%

Sprinters

12 – 18%

5 – 12%

Tennis Players

14 – 20%

10 – 16%

Volleyball

16 – 25%

11 – 14%

LIPOSUCTION

The only procedure that can reduce the number of fat cells is their surgical removal, i.e. liposuction. However, liposuction does not control the size of the fat cells left behind nor does it guarantee that growth/ re-growth of fat cells will not occur. Therefore, liposuction cannot guarantee the prevention of weight gain. Liposuction/ any type of fat removal procedure is further limited by the fact that only relatively few fat cells (<10%) relative to the large number of fat cells in the body is removed.
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