Importance of Fat in Our Body

Most of fitness aspirants believe that by consuming less fat they will be able to reduce their weight/fat content in the body & attain that fit body. However, this is not the case. I have already shared in my previous blog ( Eat more to Burn More ) that to burn excess fat, one should eat more. In this article, I am going to share some eye opening facts about fat. How many of us know that fat is used to generate heat & burn more calories during cold conditions. Fats are classified into,

Subcutaneous: This refers to fat that lies beneath the layer of skin. This is the type of body fat most bodybuilders do not like to get ripped. This fat does not impact your health negatively. Flab is another name of subcutaneous fat found around waistline.

Thigh & but fat: This kind of fat is found on certain parts of the body such as belly, upper thighs & hips. This type of fat is plague to women & makes female’s body pear shape. To some extent this pear shaped body protects from metabolic diseases when compared to big belly men. However, once females reach menopause their bodies start storing fat in abdomen rather than in thighs & hips.

Essentials: Fats that protect the vital organs of the body  

Around 50% of fat stored in an average human body is Subcutaneous, 40% is Depot & 10% is essentials. When you target to reduce the fat content in the body, you can reduce Subcutaneous & Depot. Essential fat cannot be reduced.

Visceral fat: You should take note of visceral fat which wraps around your abdominal organs. If you have big waist or belly, you have a lot of visceral fat around your body which increases the chances of heart disease. This also increases the possibility of insulin resistance leading to diabetes.

Belly Fat: This consists of both Subcutaneous & Visceral fat. Although fat may shift from one form to another,  too much belly fat, > 40 inch for men & > 35 inch for women increases the risk of heart stroke.

So Why are fats important for your body?

All of us hate fat, but it has the maximum influence on your body. You cannot eliminate fat from your body. Even the leanest person has 5% body fat. The following are worth noting about( good) fats:

1. Fats gives warmth to your body to insulate organs & acts as a messenger for your immune system.
2. Brain cells are dependent of fat. Brain functions largely because of myelin which is made up of fat
3. Fat cells produce a hormone called leptin which regulated brain appetite. Through this hormone, fat helps to enhance the size & function of brain.
4. Fats even helps in reproduction.
5. Fats & bone influence each other with hormones. Fats increases bone & bone increases the fat in the body.
6. Fat can help sustain body functions during sickness & recovery.

Fat cells are like balloons.They have the capacity of inflating many times above normal or deflate to empty if proper dietary conditions are applied. Around 90% of your fat cells comes at the time of birth which is mostly genetic. However, due to overeating you can generate more fat cells in your body. But remember, once you generate more cells they are with you for life. You can shrink them, but cannot eliminate them. Shrinking fats means transferring fats & transferring means effectively killing fats. So eating fat is not bad when consumed in correct quantity. With proper & judicious workout schedule, it can do wonders to your body.

Still wondering if at all you should go for fat loss? Get a free consult from our expert nutritionist and set-up your fitness goals with a proper diet and workout plan curated by them.