To be fat is not a fascinating idea. Indeed, now days the word ‘fat’ has become unacceptable. But the fact is, not all fats are bad. Our bodies require fat to keep our body warm and it is a source of energy when there is lack of protein or carbs intake from food.
Moreover, beside enhancing immunity fat also help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a easy method to check body fat by taking into account the height and weight of a person to give a number which indicates whether one is fit, overweight, obese or morbidly obese.
The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, backache, high blood pressure etc.
“By cutting down just 500 calories daily one can reduce half-a-kilo of fat per week”.
Fats are either bad like saturated or Trans fats or good fat like unsaturated.
Saturated fat: Found in dairy products, red meat and even poultry is responsible for the increase in the cholesterol in the blood.
Trans fat: Are formed by the hydrogenation of vegetable oils and are responsible to increase LDL (Bad Cholesterol) and decrease HDL (Good cholesterol) in the blood — leading to cardiac ailments.
Unsaturated fats are of two types:
* Monounsaturated fat or MUFAs: Found in vegetable oils can improve the blood cholesterol level and reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
* Polyunsaturated fat or PUFAs: Eating PUFAs provides the same benefits as eating MUFAs. They can be found in fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout etc. Flax seeds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Safflower, olive and corn oils are rich in both MUFAs and PUFAs. These are known to be cardio protective.
Hands down, the waist! The more inches one has on the middle section of the body, the greater will be the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders, aforementioned metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Incidentally, a man should be less than 40 inches and a woman should be less than 35 inches in the midsection so as to reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome.
All said and done, you don’t need to completely eliminate fat from your diet as some of it is beneficial. Choosing fats wisely and enjoying them in moderation is the best way to fat management.
