In order to understand body fat percentage, we must first understand the biology behind body fat itself. On the surface, fat is fat. In reality, there are two types of body fat: essential and stored. Essential fat, unsurprisingly, is essential to the normal and healthy functioning of the body. For men, this accounts for roughly 3% of total body weight.
Without essential fat, it would be impossible for our bodies to process nutrients like vitamins A, K, and D, which assist in immune health, blood clotting, and the absorption of calcium. Furthermore, fat is essential to the protection of our organs as well as to the insulation that regulates our internal temperatures. The other type of fat, called storage fat, is the result of a calorie surplus. When we eat, calories that are not used for immediate functions (such as breathing and heart rate) are converted into the triglycerides that make up storage fat. A frequent surplus of calories causes fat stores to accumulate, resulting in weight gain whereas a recurring calorie deficit forces the body to use its stored fat as energy, depleting the supply and resulting in weight loss.
Put simply, fat is a collection of unused energy and is vital to our survival as humans. Body fat percentage, then, is the ratio of fat to total body weight. Many factors such as height, gender, and genetics can have an impact on this number, bringing us back to the topic in question: Generally speaking, the
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