Information on Body Fat, Eating and Exercise
MEASURING BODY FAT IS IMPORTANT FOR DETERMINING
FITNESS
Weight alone is not a clear indicator of good health because it does not
distinguish between pounds that come from body fat and those that come from
lean body mass or muscle. Carrying too much fat is called obesity, and puts
a person at risk for many serious medical conditions including heart
disease, diabetes and even certain forms of cancer. In fact, obesity
contributes to at least half the chronic diseases in western society.
NOT ALL POUNDS ARE THE SAME
"Overweight" means an excess of total body weight based on population
averages for heights and body frame size. Athletes and very muscular people
may be overweight, but that does not mean they are fat. Obesity means an
excess of body fat regardless of weight. Remember that appearances can be
deceiving.
Medical professionals have determined that a healthy range of body fat is
14%-20% for men, and 17%-24% for women. But until recently, accurate methods
for measuring and monitoring body fat have not been available to the average
person.
EXERCISE
Exercise is playing an increasingly important role in weight management and
overall fitness for people of all ages. The newly revised Dietary Guidelines
for Americans emphasizes the importance of physical activity for both weight
control and health.
Weight maintenance rather than weight loss should be the primary focus.
Maintain your weight at any level; as a secondary goal, improve your weight
to a healthy level Don't gain weight with age. There should be no difference
in weight between men and women (according to height). NOTE: There are,
however physiological differences in the amounts of healthy fat percentage.
The Guidelines encourage people to increase physical activity and reduce
sedentary activity in order to maintain or lose weight, recommending a
minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical exercise every day.
They also recognize the link between weight gain and health risks (i.e.
premature death) for adults. And they acknowledge that the distribution of
fat in the body affects the risks associated with obesity, identifying
exercise as one of the few factors that reduces central body fat.
Planning an exercise program should be based on personal goals as well as on
individual capabilities. The most important element is to think long-term
and make exercise a permanent part of your life.
Moderately Intense Activities:
Brisk Walking (3-4 mph)
Cycling (10 mph)
Swimming or calisthenics
Racket sports or table tennis
Golf (without cart)
Housecleaning, general*
Raking leaves*
Dancing*
Playing actively with children*
*Considered moderate only if they are performed at an intensity
comparable to brisk walking. (Source: Journal of the American Medical
Association 273:402:1995.)
EATING HEALTHY
For most people, maintaining a desirable weight and body fat percentage can
only be achieved through an integrated program of nutrition and exercise-or
balancing energy intake with energy expenditure. To reduce weight and body
fat requires cutting back on calories and increasing the amount of exercise.
Dieting alone won't work. Even when a person's weight-control system has
genetic flaws that may respond to newly available pharmaceuticals, proper
nutrition and plenty of exercise is still part of the prescription for
health.
FOOD PYRAMID
Most Americans have more than enough to eat, but many people don't eat a
healthy range of foods. Consuming too many calories from any kind of food
source can produce fat. One of the best models for healthy eating is
represented in the Food Pyramid. To get the proper daily nutritional value:
Eat a variety of foods. Eat a high-fiber diet (choose more grains, fruits
and vegetables instead of protein, fats and sugar). Maintain a low-fat,
low-cholesterol diet (eat no more than 30% of calories from fat, including
only 10% from saturated fat). Use moderate amounts of salt and sodium and
choose sugar substitutes. Limit alcoholic intake.
BREAKING OLD HABITS
Often the first step to a good diet lies in changing food and eating
behavior:
Don't skip meals
Eat a series of small meals throughout the day and avoid a big meal late
in the evening
Eat and chew slowly
Use a smaller-sized plate to achieve a "full plate"
Don't go back for seconds
Bake or broil food instead of frying
Order from light menus and purchase low-calorie or low-fat foods (remember
that low-fat does not necessarily mean low-calorie)
Learn about food values and make healthy combinations in meals
Weigh yourself regularly and focus on measuring body fat percentage
Reward yourself with non-food pleasures
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