Question

How can we measure body fat? Do individuals have different body types and how does that contribute to their risk of obesity? What are some of the causes of obesity? Why is it easier for men to lose weight than it is for women? Which one are you? And how did you get this body type?

Answer 1

There are different ways to measure body fat. Someof them are as follows.

A. Skinfold calipers, in this method you measure the thickness of your subcutaneous fat (the fat underneath skin) measurment are take at different sites, for eg for men, the area of chest, thigh or abdomen are used, in case of women the prefered area are, area above the hip bone and either the thigh or abdomen.

B. Cirumferance value, in case of men circumferance of neck and abdomen are measured,than subtract your neck value from your abdomen value to determine your circumference value.In case of women circumferance of neck, waist and hips are taken and than to  calculate body fat percentage, add your waist and hip measurements, and then subtract the neck measurement, for eg  if your waist is 40, your hips are 46, and your neck is 23, your circumference value would be 63.

C. Hydrostatic weighing, this method is much more accurate, in this method your weight under water is first measured, this method calculates the amount of water displaced by your body and percentage of fat is calculated.

2) There are three basic human body types: the endomorph, the mesomorph, and the ectomorph

An ectomorph tends to be thin, and struggles to gain weight as either body fat or muscle.

The endomorph tends to gain weight and keep it on, they are more at risk of being obese, if proper diet of exercise is not done

In Mesomorph you have a natural tendency to be fit and relatively muscular.

3) Causes of obesity.

Physically inactive and sedentary life style.

Unhealth eating habits.

Genetic disease.

Hormonal imbalance or certain state of disease.

Psychological factors and certain medication.

4) Men tend to have more lean muscle tissue, as compared to women because of this women have to work harder to loose the same amount of weight as compared to men for simlar type of physical activity, On average, women have between six and 10 percent more body fat than men. Metabolic rate is much higher in men as compared to women, so men can burn calorie fasrter as compared to women.

5) In my case, I think i am of the Endomorph type, as I tend to gain weight more easily and tend to loose it very slowly, probably, because my genetics and partly because of my sedentary life style