Fat May Do as Much Good as Bad
By Tom Herrin
It is natural for most of us to pass judgment on things. Even if it is not intended to be harmful, we tend to evaluate most things we see. We do this with ourselves when we look in the mirror. As we look, we tend to compare what we see in our minds to some kind of standard that we have formed as an image. The one thing that may be the most common is what we see as fat. This is usually based on the way our clothes fit or the way we seem to appear when we are standing straight. We may determine the amount of fat by whether or not our clothes are fitting more snug than we remember. There is much more to it than that. A lot of fat has purpose.
Fat Does Help Shape Us
Whether we like it or not, we have some kind of fat covering much of our bodies. It often acts as a cushion or insulation. This fat just underneath the skin is referred to as subcutaneous fat. In many cases, it serves good purposes. It may help to store vitamins. It may also help to manage body temperature. In some instances, it can help to provide some cushion for our organs.
Fat May Be Hazardous to Health
We have all seen individuals with excess belly fat. Most of this is visceral fat. It is a kind of white fat. It is known to be a contributing factor to many conditions that may threaten health. It is associated with stroke, heart disease, arterial diseases, some types of diabetes, and some kinds of cancers. It is one kind of fat that we should have a great concern for, and it is a prime reason to make every effort to manage our weight.
We Can Now Measure Body Fat
While we may have had to guess the amount of body fat we had at one time, today we have lots more tools for our use. One that is simple and easy is to use a body mass indicator, or BMI scale. It is designed to identify what the ratio of fat per muscle and bone may be. The use of the scale is generally based on frame size, age, weight, and height. Some facilities have more technical equipment to make a better interpretation.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in West Hollywood, Calif.