Facts and Fallacies of Fitness – Health – Losing Weight
The concept of ‘losing weight’ is central to the lives of millions of beauty conscious women and a growing following of men, yet the term is ill understood by most of them.
It is even most important to appreciate that one does not wish simply to lose weight, but excess body fat.
Some individuals are obese, others are just carrying excess body fat relative to the average person of similar physique and age in their particular population group.
Losing excess body fat or adipose tissue still fails to describe the situation accurately. Percentage body fat is measured by means of underwater weighing or mathematical computations based on measurements of skinfold thicknesses taken at different body sites. Anthropomorphic (body shape/ measurement) studies rely heavily on such techniques, and many health centres place great emphasis on clients reaching desirable percentages of bodyfat.
This is most impressive to the layperson, but often of little value to the latter. Many clients reach the target bodyfat percentage, but their overall shape is still aesthetically unpleasing. The woman who reaches her goal often finds that her thighs have slimmed somewhat, but her formely attractive bust is severely deflated. The cardiac patient who lowers his percentage bodyfat does not necessarily reduce the concentration of fat in the circulatory system. For the average plump person, it is more meaningful to keep a record of the following measurements:
• circumference of chest, waist and hips
• skinfold thicknesses at the usual body sites
• skinfold thicknesses of the upper and lower segments of legs and arms, together with the corresponding circumference at the same levels
• percentage overall bodyfat
This method enables one to monitor if the loss of body mass is due to loss of fat or muscle, if excess fat is being lost in the desired regions, the extent to which one’s overall proportions are changing, and any changes in muscle mass. Losing mass is easy: one just needs to stay in bed for a prolonged period or live on a highly restricted diet. Unfortunately, the loss in these cases is due to loss of body protein in the form of muscle tissue. One can even ’sweat it off’ by wearing plastic training suits, but this temporary and highly inadvisable loss is due to general dehydration achieved by perspiration of body fluids, and is replaced within hours of normal drinking and eating. What is far more difficult is the loss of excess bodyfat in precisely the areas desired.
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Facts and Fallacies of Fitness
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