It's common knowledge that body fat is not healthy for us if the amount is too high. There are a select few who go to great measures to eat only non-fat foods so they won't gain any fat at all. But, most of these people are misinformed. Many people in the fashion industry, such as models are prone to eating disorders because of their obession of not having any fat.

You also see athletes declaring that they have a low 5% or below body fat content. All this makes us think that body fat is not needed which is patently false. Fat is the body's reserve tank of fuel. When the mains run dry the body converts fat into energy. This is essential for the proper functioning of the body because you will not be constantly eating throughout the day to keep your energy levels up. Fat is necessary for the proper consumption of fat soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. Researchers say that the ideal body fat content for men would be around 18% and for women would be 23 - 25%. Now, women need more fat throughout their bodies in order to protect their organs through pregnancy. If the fat content falls below this it is not good.

If you are a high performance athlete however you would want to carry as little excess weight as possible and fat is considered excess weight. Athletes try to keep their fat content at around 8 - Men should be around 10%, while women should be around 17%. Most people want to have low body fat because muscles take on shape only when the fat layer under the skin is low. Your abdominal muscles for example will show only when you reduce your body fat content to less than 12%.

While trying to reduce the body fat content it is essential that you do not over do it because if your fat levels drop too low your body will start cannibalizing on your muscle proteins for energy and you will actually lower your performance when this happens. Women are in a worse position because they tend to get menstrual and other hormonal problems.

You will look so much better as your body levels are in the healthy range. You will have much more definition and detail throughout your body, making you look powerful and sexy. Achieving and maintaining this level is in itself very difficult without going overboard. The main thing to remember is that you want to be healthy.