Body Fat Percentage Guide: Calculation, Measurement & Goals

Determining your optimal body fat percentage is essential for reaching fitness goals. Learn how to measure body fat using calipers or scales and understand the difference between burning fat and carbohydrates.

Athletics Training

Can You Dissolve Fat Lumps in the Body?

No special exercise machine or fad diet effectively burns fat lumps in the body. To rid your body of excess fat, you have to create a calorie deficit through changes in your diet and exercise. If you choose a sensible, healthy plan that suits your lifestyle, you are more likely to stick with your weight-loss effort.

Read more →

What Body Fat Percentage is Considered Obese?

Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the United States. According to the National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 66 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. These terms carry different stipulations, but both are considered unhealthy.

Read more →
Woman pinching fat on her belly

How to Measure Subcutaneous Fat

Having enough subcutaneous fat to "pinch an inch" might not have the health risks of deep-abdominal visceral fat, but it can still get in the way of achieving a very lean and toned physique.

Read more →
cosmetic liposuction surgery

What Foods Should I Not Eat After Liposuction?

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgical procedure that removes fat from selected body areas. It is commonly performed on the abdomen, thighs, arms, buttocks and hips. Although liposuction is not a weight-loss solution, it is an option to remove centralized fat that is unresponsive to diet and exercise.

Read more →
USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Woman measuring waist

What Happens When Your Body Fat Drops Low?

Although it's more common in the United States to have too much body fat than too little, make sure you don't go too far in your weight-loss efforts. If your body fat drops too low, it can have health consequences, just as when your body fat is too high.

Read more →
heavy weight deadlift

Benefits Of Powerlifting

Powerlifting, a strength sport where you compete in the squat, bench press and deadlift, allows you to build muscle and burn fat. Powerlifting, like other forms of heavy resistance training, strengthens your skeleton and reduces your risk of injury in other sports and activities.

Read more →

Causes of Elevated Lipase

Lipase is an enzyme that is found in several different places in the body, including the pancreas, intestines, and liver. In the pancreas, lipase helps in digestion of food by breaking down components of fat called triglycerides into smaller molecules that can be easily absorbed. According to the website Healthline.

Read more →
Woman's feet on weight scale

How Do I Know If I'm Gaining Muscle Weight or Fat Weight?

When you weigh yourself, the scale cannot differentiate between muscle, fat, water, bone or internal organs. In fact, a scale doesn't know if you are human being or a bag of rice. If you have recent weight gain, it's important to know if it's muscle or fat.

Read more →
Close-up of mother breastfeeding baby girl (6-12 months)

Reasons for Breast Lactation

The breasts are made up of a series of structures called lobules, connected to the nipple by a series of ducts, and surrounded by fat and connective tissues. Lactation, the release of milk from the breast, occurs upon the maturation of cells within the lobules.

Read more →
Glucose model

Does Fat Convert to Glucose in the Body?

Your body is an amazing machine that is able to extract energy from just about anything you eat. While glucose is your body's preferred energy source, you can't convert fat into glucose for energy; instead, fatty acids or ketones are used to supply your body with energy from fat.

Read more →
Caucasian woman lifting weights

What Is Fat-Free Body Mass?

Fat-free mass, also known as lean body mass, refers to all of your body components except fat. It includes your body's water, bone, organs and muscle content. However, when it comes to weight management and body composition, fat-free mass refers primarily to muscle mass.

Read more →
Woman biting an apple

Baby Fat in Teenagers

Influenced by what he sees on TV and in magazines, your teen may worry that he's not thin enough. Some teens take longer to grow into their adult height than others and may continue to harbor some of that "baby fat."

Read more →
Female Competitive Swimmer Doing Laps

How to Lose Body Fat Without Losing Breast Size

The breasts consist of ducts, lymph nodes, blood vessels and lobes, but they also contain a great deal of fat. When it comes to weight reduction, your body loses fat as a whole instead of in one specific area.

Read more →
checking fats on her body with a meter

ACSM Body Fat Guidelines

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, with over 20,000 members. Founded in 1954, the ACSM has continued to provide research, education and certification opportunities for individuals in the fields of sports medicine and exercise science.

Read more →
Backstroke swimmer at the race starting block

Normal Body Fat Percentage of Women Swimmers

Most female athletes carry between 8 and 15 percent fat, but swimmers usually have a bit more -- between 14 and 24 percent. While any body fat percentage below 30 is perfectly healthy for a woman, it's expected that competitive athletes be among the leanest and sleekest people around.

Read more →

The Water Displacement Test for Body Fat

Obesity affects one in three adults in the United States, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But your weight provides only one measurement of body fat.

Read more →