Date Added: May 22, 2011 04:30:00 AM

Fat is not just the enemy in your weight loss battle. Fat is an important tissue of the body, and an important factor in human survival - a certain amount of fat is required by your body. Fat represents a storehouse of energy to be metabolized when necessary. Fat insulates and protects the organs, and fat cells release hormones that control metabolism. Healthy skin and hair are maintained by fat, as it moves vitamins A, D, E and K through the bloodstream. When fat is at an optimal level, it is your friend. Health problems and other issues arise when you are carrying too much body fat.

How Much Body Fat is Too Much – Normal body fat, expressed as a percentage of body weight, should be between 25-30% for women and 18-24% for men. A woman with over 30% body fat and a man with over 25% body fat are considered to be obese. Morbid obesity sets in with over 50% body fat.

Fat In Your Diet – There are 9 calories in a gram of fat. A person of average size consuming about 2,000 calories per day should be including no more than about 60 grams of fat; less if the goal is to lose weight. You can determine your optimal fat intake this way: multiply the number of calories you eat each day by 30 percent to get your maximum number of calories from fat. Divide this number by 9 to get your maximum grams of fat per day.

Types of Fat – There are four major types of fats: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are considered good fats because they support your heart and your overall health. Good fats can be found in healthy oils such as olive oil, canola oil, sesame and other natural oils, as well as in avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish and tofu. Saturated and trans fats are considered bad fats because they have been shown to increase disease risk and elevate cholesterol levels. Bad fats are found in high-fat animal protein, palm oil, butter, cheese, lard, margarine, processed foods and fried foods. Generally speaking, bad fats are solid and good fats are liquid at room temperature.

Burning Fat – Because there are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, to lose one pound of fat you must burn 3500 more calories than you take in. Up to 2 pounds a week is considered a healthy rate of weight loss; to lose 2 pounds a week you would need to burn 500-1000 calories per day. Weight loss results will be due to a combination of eating fewer calories and burning them as energy for physical activity.

Dangers of Excess Body Fat – Excess body fat carries many serious health risks. Obese people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease and some forms of cancer. Body fat deposited around the waist causes strain on nearby organs, and represents a greater risk of developing diabetes and other weight-related conditions than for healthy-weight people or for people who carry their excess fat around the hips. Overweight people often have sleep problems such as sleep apnea, which causes oxygen levels to drop during the night due to cessation in breathing. Reduced oxygen levels affect the heart and can put a person at greater risk for heart attack and stroke. Weight loss has been shown to reduce risk and improve health in all of these areas.