How Does Body Fat Percentage Help Determine Overall Health?
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Less Is More
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Having a normal or lower body fat percentage helps reduce health risks. When a person gets to the point where his body fat is higher than his optimal range, he is subjected to his heart having to beat harder to supply blood to the rest of his body. Having lower body fat actually slows the heart rate down, reducing the chances of a heart attack.
Activation
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Having a low body fat percentage also indicates that a person is active. This in turn translates into lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, better joint mobility, better flexibility and a higher metabolism.
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Stress Less
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Having a low body fat percentage has also been linked to having less stress. Stress can compromise the body's immunity and cause people to overeat and become sedentary. These avenues can ultimately lead to more prevalence of illness and diseases.
Lean Away From the Sugar
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Having low body fat percentage is also an indicator of having lean muscle mass. This is very important, especially after 25 to 30 years of age. This is the point in time where muscle begins to diminish, fat storage goes up and metabolism starts to slow down. One major thing staying lean does is to help control blood sugar, thereby reducing the chances of acquiring diabetes.
Back by Popular Demand
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Having a lower body fat percentage also increases mobility and makes people less prone to lower back pain. Lower back pain is an issue encountered by over half the population. Having lower body fat causes the joints to have a lot less weight to carry, and there is less undue stress put upon them. See Additional Resources, below, for a good website that details the relationship between back pain and being overweight.
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