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Most people do not desire to have a high body fat percentage. It seems a natural
position to take with the unending torrent from television and the
internet concerning obesity and health risks . Stacked against
a person with obesity and
health risks is the fact that
the body is designed to store unused energy as fat.
Calories measure the hypothetical energy
contained in the foods we
eat, not fat. This is an important distinction that many people
overlook. Fat stores this energy if it is not needed when
consumed for a time when energy needs surpass what is
readily available.
Carbohydrates are the body’s first choice for energy needs. Sugars, chiefly
glucose, and starches are the most common forms. After ingestion,
carbohydrates go through the Krebs cycle in order to elicit energy. The Krebs cycle breaks
down the carbohydrates into their component parts, mostly ATP and ADP. Energy is released during this
process.
The body seeks alternative forms of energy when carbohydrates are not
present in significant levels. The body only uses stored fat
for energy if no other sources are
available. This will cause a change in body fat percentage. The
building of muscle mass may also occur, so net weight loss may, or may
not be seen.
Body fat percentage is increased when a person eats more calories than
are needed
during the course of the day. Increases in body fat can lead to
increases in critical health risks such as stroke, insulin resistance
syndrome, high blood pressure and other health issues associated with
obesity and health risks. An awareness of
these problems motivates many to manage their body fat percentage.
These factors, and a number of others including body fat percentage, should be considered when
deciding whether or not a person is obese or merely overweight.
Determining this necessitates the knowledge of one’s body type, the
ability to gauge one’s basal metabolic rate and the
awareness that the
ideal weight is not a fixed number.
An Awareness Of Health Issues Can Prevent Obesity and Health Risks
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