Fat is produced by the body when an excess intake of calories in the form of food or drink occurs. When the diet provides the body with more calories than it needs for general maintenance and its current level of physical activity, this excess energy is stored in the form of body fat
Body weight may be divided into three types: bones, muscle and fat. Fat is lighter by volume than lean body tissue and metabolically less active than muscle. This shows why it needs less calories to sustain it, than muscle.
The removal of excess fat is by a reversal of the bodily processes that store excess energy, if an individual burns more energy than he or she is consuming, the extra energy stored in the body will be removed to be broken down for physical activity.
There are many methods of assessing a person’s fat and lean mass. The most common methods include the following.
Hydrostatic Weighing method
Body composition analysis is achieved while submerging a person in a large tank of water This method of determining body composition relies on Archimedes’ Principle of displacement which states:
- The density of fat mass and fat-free mass are constant
- Lean tissue is more dense than water
- Fat tissue is less dense than water.
- Therefore person with more body fat will weigh less underwater and be more buoyant.
Skin-fold Thickness Measurements
Due to the rigor and cumbersome processes associated with the method above, most exercise physiologists use simple skin-fold measurements to determine body fat percent. The American College of Sports Medicine says that when performed by a trained, skilled, tester, they are up to 98% accurate.
BMI – Body Mass Index
Another method of estimating a person’s body fat percentage is BMI or Body Mass Index, based upon simple weight and height measurements. While the BMI calculation is an indirect measurement, it has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of body fat measures in most people.
After this has been determined, it now gives a clearer picture on the fats that needs to be burn off. This we shall be considering next
