Types Of Body Fat and How Body Fat Play Role in Weight Loss-Weight gain

We all know that fat is the worst thing for our bodies. But ultimately, it has several vital functions in our body, which depend on the fat type and its percentage in the body. We will be explaining in the article every part of fat which guides you all about fat What is good and what is bad for us 

 

Let me explain first what body fat mass is.

The amount of fat that makes up your body's total mass is referred to as your body fat mass. A person's body fat percentage can be calculated by dividing the weight of their body fat mass by their total body weight. The fat in your body serves a number of important functions, such as regulating your body temperature and guarding your organs.

 

Body fat consists of all the stored fat in the body. Three types of body fat exist:

• Essential Fat

• Subcutaneous Fat

• Visceral Fat

 

Body fat is the backup source of energy in our body. Carbs are the primary energy source, but without carbs, fats provide us energy.

Fats help us to absorb the nutrients that are necessary for our body. Some essential fats in our bodies feed our brains. Fats have many other vital functions, like protecting our organs and maintaining our body temperature. Fat is also good for reproduction, especially for women.

  Then why is fat bad? Everybody is afraid of having extra fat in their bodies. Let me tell you.

As we told you, it has some crucial functions, but when your body fat percentage gets higher than its requirements, it can cause some severe problems for your health.

Unnecessary fat can cause some fatal diseases in the body. A high-fat level can cause heart attacks, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, some types of cancer, and many more. So, if you want to live a healthy life, you must maintain the balance of fats in your body. So you must understand the different fats and their functions in our body.

Here I will take these questions into account with answers because they are very common questions to ask while discussing fat and I will be continuing this article by explaining these first. OK, the question is

What is a good body fat percentage age-wise?

Depending on your age, there are healthy body fat percentages, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. For women between the ages of 20 and 39, a healthy body fat percentage is between 21% and 32%. Men need between 8% and 19%. Women should fall between 23% and 33% of the population aged 40 to 59, while men should fall between 11% and 21% of fat.

 

What is the best classification of fat in the human body?

Men should have 2% to 5% body fat, women should have 2% to 24% body fat, and women should have more than 25% body fat. For women, having between 10% and 13% body fat is important; having between 10% and 31% body fat is healthy, and having more than 32% body fat is considered obese.

 

How can I reduce my fat mass?

To Promote Long-Term Fat Loss

• Starting Strength Training
• Increase your cardio
• Eat More Healthy Fats.
• Maintain a High Protein Diet
• Get More Sleep
• Consume unsweetened beverages.
• Load up on protein and fibre.
• Choose whole grains instead of refined carbs.
• You're aware that you still require good fats.

 

Here is the best article for Fat Loss Physical Exercises if you want specific details about it.

 

Now it's time to focus on body fat type, which is critical to understand before losing excess fat for a healthy lifestyle. Let's get started with body fat types.

 

There are three main types of body fat.

• Essential Fat

• Subcutaneous

• Visceral Fat

1: Essential fatty acid

 

As the name suggests, essential fats are the most valued fats in the body. Essential fats play a vital role in different functions. These fatty acids manage the temperature, fertility hormones, and reproduction process. Essential fats also help the body absorb nutrients. Usually, these fats are not visible because they are located deep inside the body. During the weight loss process, essential fat is not the fat that is targeted. These fatty acids are located in the nerves, brain, bone marrow, and membranes that protect organs. 10–12% in females and 2-4% in males is the ideal level of essential fat. An unhealthy diet and improper exercise can lower the level of this important fat.

So, all these functions prove that essential fat is a suitable type of fat and we may not survive without it.

Now, the second main type of body fat is

2: Subcutaneous

Storage fat found just below the skin is called subcutaneous fat. Each of the three colors of fat cells—brown, beige, and white—is present in the subcutaneous fat type.

Subcutaneous fat makes up the bulk of our total body fat. Squishable fat is the kind of fat that collects in areas like the arms, belly, thighs, and buttocks.

Callipers are commonly used by fitness experts to measure subcutaneous fat, which can be used as a proxy for total body fat.

Some subcutaneous fat is necessary for health, but too much can change hormone levels and sensitivity.

 

Here I will be touching on these combinations of subcutaneous types slightly.

White Fat

White fats are the most common fats. The majority of the fat in our bodies is white fat. White fat can be seen in the body easily because it is right under the skin and one can judge it easily. White fat is the storage system in our body. When we consume extra calories, these calories are stored in the form of white under our skin. Our body uses these calories when it doesn't get enough calories from food. But if our body stores too much white fat, it can cause some major diseases like heart attack, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, 2 types of diabetes, and other heart diseases.

White fat plays an important role in the functioning of these hormones.

 

• Leptin: This hormone controls hunger.
• Oestrogen: The sex hormone oestrogen.It also plays a role in the reproduction process of women.
• Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels.
• Cortisol: Cortisol is a stress hormone, but it takes part in many functions. It increases the glucose in the blood and increases its usage as well. Cortisol also alarms when in danger.
• Growth hormone: Hormones that take part in the growth of the body.

Brown Fat

Brown fat does not usually store in our bodies and melts away when we get a cold. It is found in babies to keep them warm but can be found in an adult's body in a small amount. This type of fat helps the body resist cold weather. Brown gets activated automatically in cold weather. It is located in the lower neck, kidneys, and spinal cord. This fact may surprise you: lean people have more brown fat as compared to obese people. Therefore, brown fat is not targeted during the weight loss journey.

Our bodies start losing brown fat as we grow up. That's why older people can't resist the cold weather.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether any drug could create the same reaction in the body as the response to a cold.

A lot of studies are yet to come about on the role of brown fat in our bodies. So we may now understand some of the additional functions of brown fat in our bodies.

Beige Fat

Scientists have discovered a new type of fat in our bodies called beige fat. It protects us against severe cold. It gets activated when our bodies are exposed to extremely cold weather. This is found under the skin in the white fat, especially around the neck and shoulders. This fat can perform the functions of both white and brown fat. Our body stores it like white fat, but when our body needs the temperature, it increases the temperature by turning the fat into thermal energy. Multiple studies have found that a lot of weight loss properties are found in this type of fat.

Types Of Body Fat and How Body Fat Play Role in Weight Loss-Weight gain

3: Visceral Fat (Belly Fat).

Visceral fat, also known as "belly fat," is white fat that accumulates in your abdomen and around all of your major organs, including your liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestines, and heart. High visceral fat levels can increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers.

This type is very important to discuss here because most questions raised by obese people are about how to lose fat, which means ultimately people are asking about visceral fat. This is the one fat that you guys are always looking to reduce, especially women because women want to look smart and shaped well.

When we consume more calories than needed by our body, these calories are stored in the form of fat. Some people have fat on their hips and thighs under their skin. But some people have more fat inside their bellies because of genetics. The inside of the belly is called visceral fat.

Visceral fat is considered the most harmful fat for our bodies. It is also known as "hidden fat" because it is deep inside the belly. Its main function is to keep enough distance between the organs. That's why it is wrapped around the abdominal organs like kidneys, pancreas, and liver  But having too much visceral fat can be fatal, even for a person with a lean body. Visceral fat has immediate effects on the body. It releases hormones that are toxic to our body's health. High visceral fat can disturb your organs in no time. That is why we should be aware of visceral fat in our bodies. We should keep checking the visceral fat level. Visceral fat can be checked by CT or MRI scan, but it is a costly process. You can check the viscera by measuring your waist. 80 cm for females and 95 cm for males is the limit. If you have a waist measurement of more than this, it means you have high visceral fat. A balanced diet and exercise can lower the visceral fat level.

 

How to get rid of visceral fat or belly fat?

1: Stay away from alcohol.

It is a well-known fact that drinking alcohol can lead to obesity. Alcohol has many other health risks which can make your life miserable. Alcohol will make you feel hungry and can lead you to poor food choices. It can also disturb the metabolic system, and as a result, you can develop abdominal fat. Too much alcohol consumption can cause high blood pressure, digestive problems, liver diseases, heart diseases, and mouth, throat, and breast cancers.

2: Increase Your Protein Consumption

Food that contains high protein will make you feel full. So you will consume fewer calories. When we consume more protein, our body will release hormones that control our hunger and late-night cravings. Some high-protein foods have great thermal effects, which can help us burn some extra calories.

3: Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet

We can't cut sugar out of our diet completely, but we can reduce our consumption of sugar. When consuming sugar, our body releases hormones that force the body to store fat around the belly. Sugar can cause diabetes and heart and liver diseases as well. Hence, it proves that too much sugar can lead us to an unhealthy life.

4. Daily Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises are considered the best exercises for weight loss. Exercises which increase our heart rate are called aerobic exercises. During these exercises, we start to breathe heavier, so we inhale more oxygen. Oxygen levels increase in the blood, which improves the performance of our organs and can help us lose belly fat.

Food with a High Soluble Fibre Content

Soluble fibre will prevent the body from absorbing sugar, and less sugar means a lower insulin level. Insulin has a key role in our body. It forces the body to store fat around the belly area. So, lower insulin will have less chance of belly fat. Viscous fibre will reduce your calorie intake. That will increase your calorie deficit and will help you get rid of obesity.

6: Stress Reduction

When we are under stress, our bodies release hormones called cortisol. Cortisol may increase your appetite, which means you will consume more calories. Research has shown that many people with belly fat have negative moods and are under stress.

So that is how you get rid of stress to avoid belly fat.

 

7: Consume Green Tea

Green tea is one of the best beverages for the weight loss journey. It is loaded with antioxidants, which makes it special. It is a well-known fact that green tea will help you lose weight, especially belly fat. Green tea improves metabolism and increases fat-burning hormones. Green tea can speed up the fat-burning process if you drink it before performing weight loss exercises. So, adding green tea to your diet is a pretty great idea if you want to get rid of belly fat.

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