What is Fat?
Fat consists of fatty acids that are present as groups of chemical compounds. It is beneficial for providing the energy the body needs for its various vital processes. Excess fat in the body can accumulate in different areas, leading to several health issues such as obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes.
Benefits of Fat
It is commonly believed that fats are harmful and dangerous to health; however, fats have many benefits, and the body constantly needs them, although in reasonable amounts suited to each individual. Some benefits of fat in the body include:
- Providing energy for various vital processes.
- Helping in the absorption of vitamins.
- Being a component of hormones in the body.
- Serving as a cushioning layer to protect body organs from bruises and injuries.
- Acting as an insulator that helps the body maintain its normal temperature.
Calculating Body Fat Percentage
It is important to calculate the percentage of fat in our bodies to ensure it does not exceed the normal level for each individual. Calculating the appropriate fat percentage is especially important for those who are concerned with achieving an ideal and lean body. Typically, they follow a special diet to burn body fat and exercise regularly to balance the amount of fat consumed from food with the amount of movement needed to burn it through daily activities and sports. The appropriate fat percentage for each person is determined by several factors, the most important of which are: weight, gender, and waist circumference. There are two methods to calculate body fat percentage, one for men and another for women, but the calculation method does not differ in its mechanism:
Calculating Body Fat Percentage for Men
We apply the following equation: First factor – Second factor = Lean body mass. Where the first factor is: (Total body weight × 1.082) + 94.42 and the second factor is: (Waist measurement × 4.15). After finding the lean body mass, we calculate the body fat weight as follows: (Total body weight – Lean body mass). We calculate the body’s fat percentage using the following equation: (Body fat percentage = (Body fat weight × 100) / Total body weight).
Calculating Body Fat Percentage for Women
(Body weight × Female body formula) + 986.8 (Waist circumference × 157.175) + (Hip measurement × 249). We combine the results of the three equations to get (Muscle mass). Then, we perform the final equation to calculate the body fat percentage for women: Body fat percentage = (Total body weight – Muscle mass).
