Five Reasons Why Body Fat Percentage Matters More Than Weight

In this era of haste, most people judge their health status by weight machines, not focusing on actual state they’re in. Nowadays, if your outer appearance looks healthy, people think that you are healthy. 

It is necessary to focus on your inner health as well as your outer appearance. This blog explains why a person's body fat percentage matters more than their weight and how doing so can help them have a more complete awareness of their bodies.

Below are five reasons why body fat percentage matters more than weight or your body mass index. 

1. Body fat percentage is often considered a more accurate indicator of health as it is a better predictor of health risks. You may have a normal BMI or average weight but still, be at risk of getting diabetes or heart disease if your body fat percentage is high. So, monitoring your body fat percentage is important to address potential health issues.
2. Also, weight does not differentiate between muscle and fat. So, a person having more muscles and weight may be healthier than a person with low weight and higher fat percentage. So, only by monitoring weight, it can't be decided if the person is healthy or not. 
3. Often when people say that they want to lose weight they are talking about losing fat. As overall weight includes fat mass and  lean body mass which includes muscles, bones, water, etc. while losing fat helps reduction in body fat. So, it is important to shed fat instead of overall weight. This leads to a more effective approach and helps to get long-lasting results. 
4. Keeping a check on body fat percentage is more precise than checking your weight. As your weight may fluctuate because of different reasons but your body fat percentage will let you know a consistent measure.
5. Focusing on body fat percentage you’ll know what to target. Whether you want to lose some extra fat or gain some muscle mass this approach is more targeted. Instead of focusing on calorie deficits, you can focus on what to eat and how much to eat. Also, you can have a more targeted approach in your workout sessions. 

So, the next time you want to understand your overall health, instead of looking at a weight machine or calculating your BMI, focus on your body fat percentage. The ideal body fat percentage for men is around 10% to 20%, while for women it varies from 18% to 28%.

Having a high or low body fat percentage is not good for your health so it is important to monitor it. Easy ways to check body fat percentage include skinfold calipers, body fat scales, and tape measurements. Having a high body fat percentage is risky but can be easily preventable by eating a healthy and balanced diet and by regularly engaging in physical activity.