The Critical Role of Body Fat and Slimming Trends
Experts emphasize that the effort to completely eliminate body fat can be biologically and socially harmful, drawing attention to fat's vital functions.
Experts warn that the trend toward extreme thinness and the effort to completely get rid of body fat can be harmful both biologically and socially. Body fat acts as an active organ fulfilling critical vital functions such as energy storage, hormone production, thermal insulation, and immunity.
Perception and Importance of Fat
Fat has had a negative image for years due to diet culture and low-fat product marketing. However, experts are concerned that the trend toward extreme thinness is rising again.
Although excess fat can lead to obesity, having too little fat is also detrimental to health. Experts state that body fats perform very important vital functions.
Basic Functions of Body Fat
Body fat is not a passive structure where unneeded energy is stored, but rather an active organ that regulates body functions.
Fat cells support important biological processes by producing hormones like leptin, which signal the body's energy status and the feeling of fullness.
Body Temperature and Types of Fat
White fat serves as an insulation layer for the body in addition to storing extra energy.
Brown and beige adipose tissues contain specialized cells that burn energy to generate heat.
Effects of Too Little Fat
Insufficient adipose tissue can lead to the disruption of organ and body functions, creating serious negative effects on health.
When there are not enough reserves left in the body, muscle tissue begins to break down to conserve energy, and bone repair stops.
Hormones and Reproductive Health
Having too little body fat can cause testosterone levels to drop in men.
In female athletes, this situation can lead to irregular menstrual periods or the complete cessation of menstruation.
Ideal Fat Ratios and Measurement
Body fat percentage generally ranges between 10 and 20 percent in healthy adult males, while it ranges between 20 and 29 percent in females.
There are various methods to measure body fat, such as DEXA scans, skinfold tests, smart scales, and the use of a tape measure.