Body Composition Essay, Research Paper

According to Mosbey’s Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary, Body Composition is defined as the relative proportions of protein, fat, water, and mineral components in the body. It varies as a result of differences in body density and degree of obesity. Basically body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in a persons body. The percentages of body fat a person has determines their overall health and fitness when compared to factors like age, weight, and sex. Body composition also contributes to a persons overall appearance. A healthy male should have about12 to 18 percent of fat. Females should have around 14 to 20 percent. Any thing over or under these percentages would be considered unhealthy.The term’s weight and fat are usually used in the same context when discussing physical fitness. Under certain circumstances, being overweight doesn’t mean that a person is unhealthy. A person could be in good physical shape but considered overweight because they have excess muscle. People with a lot of muscle mass usually have body weight, which is disproportional to their height. Having a high percentage of fat is unhealthy because it can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.It is important to know your body fat percentage because it can help you put together a realistic exercise program with goals that are attainable. A good exercise program incorporates both aerobic exercises, which burn fat and anaerobic exercises, which build muscle. It is healthier to turn fat into muscle instead of just trying to loose weight without thinking about gaining strength. The best way for a person to change his or her body composition is to improve their fitness levels. Fitness has different meanings to different people. Some people define fitness as having a small waistline. Other people may feel that fitness is the ability to bench-press their body weight ten times. And other people may feel that fitness is just being free from sickness. True fitness is a balance of all of the components of health. These components include aerobic endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Sourceshttp://rcc.webpoint.com/fitness/combasic.htmMosby’s Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary, Edition 5, 1998 p. 134EWerner W.K. Hoeger and Sharon A. Hoeger, 1998, Lifetime Physical Fitness & Wellness, 1998 by Morton Publishing Company 925 W. Kenyon, Unit 12 Englewood, Colorado 80110