What level of body fat is healthy?

[goodsamaritan]

What level of body fat do you think is healthy?
That will give you functional strength, immunity, long life, etc.

I'm suspicious of the ads where they show these muscles and hardly any fat, it's like a biology education of human muscle groups. Like body building competitions... is that healthy? 

[Brad462]

Are u trying to get ripped gs? 

[bharminder]

I think that guy looks healthy because "Exercise is king and nutrition is queen". You can eat crap and if you exercise enough you burn all that food off anyway. Nutrition is still important. In fact, when you put the two together, exercise and nutrition, you've got a kingdom.

I've seen many people who eat healthy: like meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts..no processed stuff, and they don't look good because they don't exercise. That always surprised me until recently when I discovered how vital exercise is to one's health. In my opinion, it's more important than nutrition.....though nutrition is still important.

[goodsamaritan]

Aajonus for example thinks we should be overweight so we have extra nutrition.

I know it is the fashion in some countries, but is being ripped healthy?

[HIT_it_RAW]

I think one needs body fat for good health, especially women. I’d say about 10-15% for males and 15-25% for females. But that’s just my gut feeling. Someone who has been on a clean diet for a long time may need less fat. I’m at ~10% myself. Maybe for optimum health I should be somewhat fatter but there’s also aesthetics, its summer.

The natural cycle in tempered climates (like her in NL) is to gain fat in the summer/autumn and loose some in the winter. AV recommends gaining and loosing fat regularly to remove deep tissue toxicity. The natural cycle of plentiful and lean seasons seems to accommodate this. Another reason to eat what’s in season! Vitamin D is stored in body fat so if one gains fat in the summer sun and burns it in the winter this releases vit D. Might be a good tool to prevent winter depression.

In the tropics there is less need for body fat for insulation because there is no winter. From what I’ve seen Indigenous people from the tropics are lean all year round. Does this means they are less likely to remove toxins from their body or are less healthy? Have to do some research on that one…

I think that guy looks healthy because "Exercise is king and nutrition is queen". You can eat crap and if you exercise enough you burn all that food off anyway. Nutrition is still important. In fact, when you put the two together, exercise and nutrition, you've got a kingdom.

I've seen many people who eat healthy: like meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts..no processed stuff, and they don't look good because they don't exercise. That always surprised me until recently when I discovered how vital exercise is to one's health. In my opinion, it's more important than nutrition.....though nutrition is still important.

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with that. Nutrition is king. I think one is healthier on a healthy diet without exercise then on a crap diet with lots of exercise.

[p0wer]

I'd say it's very individual (genetically determined), for someone being at 10% might be perfectly normal whereas for someone else 30% might be normal.
As long as you eat a balanced diet in terms of calories and fat/carbs/protein, body fat probably won't have that much impact on health.

[riy freeman]

One that allows peak cardiovascular and strength performance, without drugs.

[HIT_it_RAW]

One that allows peak cardiovascular and strength performance, without drugs.

That's not related to health. There are plenty folks eating pasta and sugarwater all day, have very low bf and bike a few hundred miles a day. They may be able to perform at their peak but that says nothing about their health.

[p0wer]

But is body fat related to strength? Logically strength should be related (maybe proportionally) to muscle mass.
And even cardiovascular performance -- I have non-ripped, quite fatty (> 15%, males) friends that are running marathons.

[sabertooth]

It may be healthy to be ultra lean as long as you eat enough raw fats, in order to cycle fat soluable toxins out of the body, as well as to maintain a healthy overall metabolizm.

The type of ultra lean or ultra muscular bodybuilders, who load up on too much processed protein and carbohydrates may get good short term results as far as gaining lean muscle mass, but I suspect that many who follow such a way of life will not age very gracefully or be free of degenerative disease once passed middle age..

I think its more of an issue of "quality of fat" than "quantity of fat".

About 70% of my calories come from raw animal fat, and so its impossible for me to gain much body fat. I would like to be able to gain a little extra protective layer , but its metabolically impossible for me to gain much body fat. This doesn't worry me to much because I believe that as long as my body burns off the grass fed fats as fuel it will use the pure fat to clean the body and nourish the cells. So it may not be as necessary for me to carry much extra fat around as it would be for someone who eats large amounts of toxic food; as long as I eat about half a pound or more of raw animal fat each day along with my other paleo approved foods then there shouldn't be any problem. Hopefully time will prove my notions correct.

This is just a theory, its open for discussion.

[HIT_it_RAW]

@saber
At 70% cal from fat you can still get fat if the other 30% is sugar...
I suppose you mean that at your current diet your carbs are so low that insulin is very low and therefore you don't gain fat?

When you eat what’s in season you’ll be in ketosis during he winter due to limited to no available carbs. Ketosis prevents loss of muscle during low caloric times. Its our body’s way to get trough the winter unharmed. In summer/autumn carbs are available again and we can (re)build bodyfat.

[achillezzz]

To be honest with you it really depends!
You can be naturally very lean or a little bit overweight it depends on your genetics but what matters is how you feel do you feel healthy?
as for sports and "leannes"

as long as your cardio is good and you feel strong nothing else really matters lol

[p0wer]

Required reading for this thread:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipose_tissue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipocyte

Something interesting I came across (also gives a nice intro to adipose tissue): Saturated fatty acids and insulin resistance

[riy freeman]

Rofl, health is a state, not a procedure. So your example of a a biker who can do incredible physical feats is by definition healthy. He/she hasn't degenerated his/her health enough to not be able to do those things. Therefore in his/her present state he/she is still healthy.

Conversely, a sick person can be eating the healthiest raw foods and yet he/she is NOT healthy; not in a state of health. Get it?

[HIT_it_RAW]

A biker can be genetically gifted to be so much better than the rest that even if he is unhealthy he still beats the rest.

I have a very large percentage of fats twitch fibres in my quadriceps and also rather good leverage factor in the knee joint. I can leg extension more than most even when I'm almost dying. Peak performance is a very relative thing.

Every one can perform at the peak of his ability regardless of health/fitness. Peak performance simply means the best you can do at a given time when exerting maximum effort.

Health is indeed a state. But it says very little about performance.

[riy freeman]

Well if you actually read my post you would understand that I am referring to health that allows for the best in the individual's performance, not in comparison to other athletes. Therefore, it is a direct measure of personal health. Check and mate.

[HIT_it_RAW]

I really understand what you mean I just don't agree. If you are healthy but have never exercised your performance will be lower than when you are unhealthy but have exercised for years. I get what you are trying to say but than you should say. A tate that allows for peak potential performance. Performance is still related to training.

I happen to know a guy who  is as unhealthy as hell. He coughs so violently sometimes i think his lumgs will come out. A year ago he started exercising. He has great gen potential an grew very quick. he is now very strong, much stronger than he ever was even when healthy. Yet he still is very unhealthy in fact his health has deterioated further over the past year.

[raw-al]

I think one needs body fat for good health, especially women. I’d say about 10-15% for males and 15-25% for females. But that’s just my gut feeling. Someone who has been on a clean diet for a long time may need less fat. I’m at ~10% myself. Maybe for optimum health I should be somewhat fatter but there’s also aesthetics, its summer.

The natural cycle in tempered climates (like her in NL) is to gain fat in the summer/autumn and loose some in the winter. AV recommends gaining and loosing fat regularly to remove deep tissue toxicity. The natural cycle of plentiful and lean seasons seems to accommodate this. Another reason to eat what’s in season! Vitamin D is stored in body fat so if one gains fat in the summer sun and burns it in the winter this releases vit D. Might be a good tool to prevent winter depression.

In the tropics there is less need for body fat for insulation because there is no winter. From what I’ve seen Indigenous people from the tropics are lean all year round. Does this means they are less likely to remove toxins from their body or are less healthy? Have to do some research on that one…
I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with that. Nutrition is king. I think one is healthier on a healthy diet without exercise then on a crap diet with lots of exercise.

I agree with this GS except the gaining fat in the summer part. You should gain fat in the fall to protect you from winter cold and eat less in the summer. You don't need the insulation in the summer. However you don't really have winter in your neck of the woods. ( jealousy on my part)

Weight is not an issue unless it causes you to feel too dopey or tired. If your tongue is pink or close to it and you don't get upper respiratory tract infections or nasal blockages or other chronic issues associated with buildup of fluids or semi solids, you are good to go.

Ayurveda says that Ojas and fat are very similar. Ojas is fundamental to health and especially in youth when bodies and brains are in development.

The opposite end of the spectrum (too thin) is more problematic.

However having said this heavy exercise is appropriate for you. Personally after trying various exercise schemes I like random exercise such as sailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, biking etc. rather than weights as you forget that you are exercising and are actually doing something that requires thought processes.

[HIT_it_RAW]

I agree with this GS except the gaining fat in the summer part. You should gain fat in the fall to protect you from winter cold and eat less in the summer. You don't need the insulation in the summer. However you don't really have winter in your neck of the woods. ( jealousy on my part)

Weight is not an issue unless it causes you to feel too dopey or tired. If your tongue is pink or close to it and you don't get upper respiratory tract infections or nasal blockages or other chronic issues associated with buildup of fluids or semi solids, you are good to go.

Ayurveda says that Ojas and fat are very similar. Ojas is fundamental to health and especially in youth when bodies and brains are in development.

The opposite end of the spectrum (too thin) is more problematic.

However having said this heavy exercise is appropriate for you. Personally after trying various exercise schemes I like random exercise such as sailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, biking etc. rather than weights as you forget that you are exercising and are actually doing something that requires thought processes.

you're right i was thinking gaining late summer and autum (=fall?uk vs vs enlish i think) when fruits are plentyfull. you need carbs to get fat(ter).

[klowcarb]

I am 15%. I consider that very healthy for an athletic female.