OVERWEIGHT OR OVERFAT?

Many people may actually be overfat but not overweight. Fat can also be hidden throughout the body. A person may be overfat without the appearance of being overweight. As we age, muscle tissue is replaced with fat. This occurs despite regular exercise. When the muscle's capacity to store fat is exceeded, excess fat is then stored outside the muscle, around body organs, and under the skin. The fat that is now being added to the body results in the person becoming overfat and overweight.

Many people are motivated to diet by wanting to be thin and attractive like the models we see everywhere--on TV and in magazines. What is far more important is that a leaner body reduces the risk for certain diseases. Studies show that a 20 percent increase in body weight increases the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Body composition (the body's percentages of fat, muscle, and bone) provides an overall view of your health and fitness in relation to your weight, health, and age. Maintaining a healthy body fat level will help decrease your health risks.

The ranges of healthy body fat are different for men and women and depend on age:

age 18 to 39 years, women should be 21 to 32 percent fat and men 8 to 19 percent fat
age 40 to 59 years, women should be 23 to 33 percent fat and men 11 to 21 percent fat
age 60 to 79 years, women should be 24 to 35 percent fat and males13 to 24 percent fat

General health and heart risks increase when body fat is in excess of these healthy ranges. Knowing your body composition can help you design a fitness program to build more fat-burning muscle. Resolving to change your body composition and not simply to lose weight, can improve your overall health. The risk of developing weight-associated medical problems increases if the majority of body fat is located in the abdominal area. This risk decreases if body fat is primarily located in the hips, buttock and thigh region.

Percentage of body fat can be determined with:

underwater body weighing (or hydrostatic weighing)
ultrasound measurements
skinfold measurements and
bioelectrical impedance

Height and weight tables are generally used to determine how a person's weight compares to a standard. However, weight in these tables is an overall measure of all components of the body. Individuals may differ in muscle, frame size, and percentage of body fat. The waist to hip ratio of body composition assessment provides information on where the majority of body fat is located.

Most health and fitness clubs offer body composition testing.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File WEIG5284.RF2 VRS# 6971 Data Version 7.0