Body Fat: The Myths and The Truth

Body fat: that's why you're reading this article. Whether it's to lose body fat over all or to get a slimmer tummy, you want to look and feel great. Aside from the fact that fat looks bad, your long-term health is directly related to how much excess fat on your body.

But, let's get one thing straight right from the beginning. Body fat in and of itself isn't bad. You do need some fat on your body for several reasons. But too much of it can lead to problems.

Facts and myths about body fat.

Fat is the secondary source of energy for your body. The first is dietary sugars and starches. You need blood sugar to keep all body processes going. Dietary energy sources give out after approximately 10 minutes with heavy work or exercise, and then it switches to taking energy from the tissues around them which is usually the fat stored in the tissues. It takes this stored fat and converts it into sugar, which is then used for energy.

A woman has more curves because of fat and in spite of social and cultural "norms" pushed on us through Hollywood and advertisements, a woman's body comes hardwired to have fat stores in a number of places, especially because of her childbearing potential. While women may struggle with it, they will store fat around their stomach and thighs particularly during their childbearing years as an internal protection when pregnant.

Why you cannot lose body fat completely.

A different reason that you need body fat is that it insulates you from both intense heat and cold. Fat acts like a layer of blankets that protect your inner organs from extreme temperature.


Fat is also the main pad on the bottom of your feet as well as the palms of your hands. Imagine walking on your bones for just a minute and then be thankful for fat. It's also important to note that fat is used to pad organs throughout your body, too. This is a bit like when we stuff paper into a box before sealing it up to keep the contents from shifting around.

The risks of excess body fat.

So, we do need some body fat but the problem is that the majority of us have too much of it. It appears as a spare tire around our midsection or as awkward saddle bags.

Excess belly fat leads to problems with chronic diseases. There has been a direct relationship between the accumulation of belly fat and diabetes. Many people are ignorant to the fact that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and a major cause of kidney disease.

In addition to this, diabetes increases your chance of having heart disease and suffering from a stroke by almost 400%. Suffering from heart disease is one of the reasons to lose body fat if you've got too much of it. When you're at risk for heart disease, you're also at risk for stroke. Strokes occur when blood vessels in the brain burst. This can cause death of specific areas of the brain that go without oxygen and nutrients.


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