Understanding Fat May Help to Support Health
By Tom Herrin
A lot of the things we have problems with are often due to lack of understanding. The more we know about anything that pertains to our health, the better. Fat is something that we may feel we have some knowledge of after having seen it all of our lives. Most of us have some kind of idea what it really is, but we may not understand what it is all about. Fat is something we all have, but it may be in very different amounts and places. Everyone feels like they recognize excess body fat, but even that is not always the case.
We All Need Fat
Usually when we think of fat, it is the fat we see on our bodies. We actually require fat for some of our body parts to function well. The brain is one that must have fat or risk some kind of poor development. We also need fat for our nerves and bone marrow. We have some fat around our organs to serve as a sort of cushion to protect them. Fat helps to regulate our body temperature and balance hormones. It even helps to store vitamins.
What We See May Be Bad
When we see ourselves, or someone else, we may be seeing body fat. Some of it is necessary as previously mentioned. Some of it is potentially dangerous to our health. Belly fat has become recognized as a serious health threat. When we have very much of it, our health may suffer some serious issues. This kind of fat is known to contribute to stroke, heart disease, and arterial disease. In some cases, it can interfere with some organ functions. It is essential that we keep an eye on this and take steps to reduce it whenever we can.
Some of Us Now Measure Fat
Since we are all searching for more information, we now have the ability to measure our body fat. At least, we can get an idea of what our percentage of fat is. These simple scales generally use information such as age, height, weight, and frame size. They can give us an approximate idea of how our body is made up. This is turned into a number and compared as normal, overweight, or obese. It isn't perfect, but it does give us an idea of just where we fit in the population.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Stafford, Va.