Latest news with #bodyfat
CNET
22-07-2025
- Health
- CNET
Abs Are Made in the Kitchen. Here's How to Eat Right
Six-pack abs might be one of the most sought-after fitness goals, but the truth is, they're not easy to get -- and for a lot of people, they may not even be realistic. Despite what flashy YouTube videos promise, doing a few hundred crunches won't magically give you a defined core in a week. Still, finding a rhythm -- whether it's through routine or listening to the right playlist -- can help keep you moving. Whether you have those coveted abs has less to do with exercise and more with genetics and body fat percentage. Genetics are completely out of our hands, and body fat is a little harder to control than you might think. Still determined to try for six-pack abs, or want to learn why your exercise-filled attempts have never been successful? I spoke to Dr. John Morton, the head of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Yale Medicine, and together we'll tell you everything you need to know, including how to work toward your goal safely. Read more: The best home gym equipment What does body fat percentage mean? Body fat is partly determined by what you eat, but other factors are out of your control. Getty Images It may sound fairly self-explanatory, but your body fat percentage just measures how much of your body mass is fat. And don't look at fat like it's a bad word -- body fat percentage includes essential fat you need to survive. Body fat percentage is easy to get confused with body mass index, or BMI, but the two are quite different. BMI isn't the best measurement of health, since some people can have a "healthy" reading but actually be in danger for obesity-related illnesses because they have too little lean mass. There's a bunch of different ways you can measure your body fat percentage, and for the best readings you'll want to get it done at a doctor's or dietician's office. They'll have machines like an underwater weighing station or the ability to do a DEXA scan, which are far more accurate than anything you can do at home. However, if you don't have the resources to make the trip to a healthcare provider, you can get a fairly good estimate at home. The American Council of Exercise has a calculator where you can plug in some skinfold measurements for a rough idea of what your body fat percentage is. Read more: Best filtered water bottles for 2025 to remove bacteria, sediment and more What body fat percentage do I need for a six-pack? No matter how strong your ab muscles are, they're not going to show through unless you have a low enough body fat. That specific body fat number, though, is individual. Morton says you'll typically need to be below 15% body fat for a six-pack, though he stresses it's different for everyone. Some women on Reddit report that they can start to see a six-pack at around 20% body fat, while others are at 18% and don't see anything. The reason why the number varies for everyone is because we all have different body fat distribution -- some carry fat around their midsection, while others have an "hourglass" shape, where you carry fat in your chest and hips. Body fat distribution is determined in part by environmental factors, like alcohol intake and cigarette use, but it also has a strong genetic component. So, you may be at 18% body fat and carry weight on your hips, but I may be at 18% and carry it around my stomach -- in that case, you'll have a lot easier time getting a six-pack than I will. Read more: The best rowing machines Morton also points to groups of people who have a harder time getting to a low body fat -- namely, Hispanics, African Americans and women. Depending on your individual situation, the body fat percentage needed for a six-pack may not even be healthy. Low body fat can disrupt menstruation and fertility, and can damage your heart, immune system or cause a ton of other serious conditions. Women will typically not want to go below 14% body fat, and men 8%, but for some people that number may be higher -- if you're experiencing health problems connected to your weight, contact your health care provider. Say you get to a low enough body fat percentage in a healthy manner -- I hate to break it to you, but you still might not have a six-pack. Your abs are actually one big muscle, called the rectus abdominis, and the six-pack look is created by the intersections of three lateral tendons and one horizontal one. While most people have this tendon pattern, some have two or four lateral tendons -- in that case, you'll have a four- or eight-pack. What workout should I do for a six-pack? I hope I haven't rained on your parade too much -- if you're still motivated to try, there are certainly steps you can take to maximize your chances of getting that coveted six-pack. The first thing you'll probably want to do is lose weight. But be careful -- weight loss doesn't automatically mean fat loss. Morton says to emphasize your protein intake instead of carbs and fat, and keep up your exercise and weight lifting during your weight loss journey. This way, you can ensure that you're primarily losing fat and not muscle or water. When losing weight, be sure to keep up the exercise. Westend61/Getty Images "Another helpful way to get a six-pack is to avoid the other six-pack," Morton says, referring to alcohol. There's a reason why it's called a beer belly -- alcohol intake usually puts weight around your midsection, so you'll definitely want to avoid overconsumption if you want a six-pack. Finally, don't neglect the core workout. Morton tells me that even if you aren't striving for a six-pack, core workouts are super important for preventing neck and back issues, as well as improving your posture. Certified physical therapist Jeff Cavaliere, known on YouTube as Athlean X, has a great workout routine video with some simple compound movements to develop your abdominal strength. Whatever workout you end up doing, you'll want to ensure you're incorporating whole body movements so you don't develop muscle imbalances. Just remember to make sure you're getting protein, avoiding too much alcohol and working out your abs -- if the genetic gods are kind to you, your hard work will get you where you need to be.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BMI Is an Awful Predictor of Early Death. We've Had a Better Option For Decades.
The 'go-to' way many clinicians measure healthy weight may be deeply flawed, according to new research. A population study from the University of Florida (UF) has found that BMI, or body mass index, is not the best option for predicting future health risks associated with weight – not by a long shot. Another method, which directly measures body fat and has been around for decades, has now put BMI to shame. It's called a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). In a nationally representative analysis, those with high body fat levels, as measured by BIA, faced a 262 percent increased risk of death from heart disease compared to those with lower levels. Related: Meanwhile, BMI scores, which simply compare a person's weight to their height, failed to turn up any significant association with mortality. "Let's face it, the magnitude of risk this study shows is enormous," cardiologist Andrew Freeman, who was not involved in the study, told CNN's Sandee LaMotte. "It's scary to think that we may have been using a surrogate – BMI – that may not have been all that accurate over the years." BMI has long been used as a standard measure of obesity, endorsed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Heart Association (AHA), and many more. In recent years, however, researchers around the world have begun to question BMI measurements, which do not consider body build, age, gender, sex, race, or ethnicity differences. Some medical organizations have even advised doctors to deemphasize the use of BMI. Health services researcher, Arch Mainous, and his colleagues at UF have now proposed a much-needed alternative, and it takes less than a minute to carry out. BIA is a direct measurement of body fat using a portable, inexpensive device. The contraption works by sending a weak electric current into body tissue to determine muscle and fat composition. The technology has been commercially available since the 1980s, but only recently have modern fitness trackers and smartwatches begun to incorporate BIA sensors. While these measurements are not perfect and are subject to variability, UF's nationally representative study suggests that this 25-year-old technology is more accurate as a health indicator than BMI. Over the course of 15 years, researchers found that adults who had high body fat, as measured by BIA, were 78 percent more likely to die of any cause than those with lower body fat levels. By contrast, higher BMI levels did not reveal any significant relationship with all-cause mortality. "This study is a game-changer," says lead author Mainous. "This is the ultimate Coke versus Pepsi test. And BMI failed." Sure, BMI is simple and easy to compute, but it comes with some serious limitations. People who are muscular, for instance, can sometimes be deemed overweight or obese. And on the flip side, those who have a normal BMI but elevated body fat percentages may be unaware that they may face added health risks, such as metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. Mainous and colleagues argue that BIA is a more accurate alternative, and the devices that measure it are inexpensive and compact enough to become a regular feature of medical clinics. The UF team predicts that if their results are validated in larger and more diverse cohorts, "it is likely that measuring body fat percentage with BIA will become a standard of care". "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all," the researchers conclude. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine. There's a Critical Thing We Can All Do to Hold Alzheimer's Symptoms at Bay Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More
Health Line
01-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Body Fat More Accurately Predicts Heart Disease, Death Risk Than BMI
A new study reports that measurements that detect body fat are a more accurate predictor of mortality risk than body mass index (BMI). Experts say BMI doesn't differentiate between weight attributed to body fat and weight attributed to muscle. They do note that BMI is easier to calculate and less expensive than many body fat measurements. Body mass index (BMI) only tells part of the story when it comes to determining your overall health and death risk. Measurements that calculate body fat percentage are significantly more accurate for determining health profiles, according to a new study published Annals of Family Medicine. Compared to BMI scores, researchers said body-fat percentages were a stronger predictor of the 15-year mortality risk of young adults ages 20 to 49. They reported that people with high body fat are 78% more likely to die from any cause compared to people without high body fat. In addition, those with elevated body fat percentages have a 262% higher chance of dying from heart disease. The researchers said BMI measurements did not detect these risks, but other measurements did. These included bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which uses electrical current to measure body fat, muscle mass, and water weight. 'Body fat percentage is a better predictor of 15-year mortality risk factor in young adults than BMI. A move to using [body fat percentages] rather than BMI may change how we measure body composition for risk stratification,' the researchers wrote. For their study, the researchers analyzed data on 4,252 males and females who participated in the 1994 to 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They then compared those records with data from the National Death Index through 2019. Experts not involved in the study say the results are not surprising. 'Previous studies have shown similar results — measuring body fat, especially fat deep in the belly which is close to organs, more metabolically active and plays a greater metabolic risk, may be a better assessment than simply a number on the scale which cannot assess variations between muscle, fat, water, etc.,' said Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, the president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Dept of Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine. BMI is more accessible but not as accurate The concept of body mass index (BMI) was developed in 1832 by Belgian mathematician Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. It's calculated by basically dividing a person's weight by their height squared. There are free calculators online to help do the math. Using that scale, medical professionals classify body composition of adults in the following way. less than 18.5 — underweight 18.5 to 24.9 — healthy weight 25 to 29.9 — overweight 30 or greater — obesity Obesity is classified by three subtypes using BMI: class 1 obesity — 30 to 34.9 class 2 obesity — 35 to 39.9 class 3 obesity — 40 or higher Ali said the advantages of measuring BMI are that it's a well-known gauge that is easy to calculate, relatively inexpensive, and generally accepted by insurance. Some past studies have shown that BMI can be a predictor of chronic diseases such as: type 2 diabetes cancer kidney disease Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California, said BMI doesn't distinguish between weight obtained by muscle and weight due to body fat. 'It doesn't take into account the differences between fat and muscle in the body,' Ali told Healthline. 'BMI is not necessarily the best measurement for body composition — it's more of a guidance.' Becca Krukowski, PhD, a professor of public health services at the University of Virginia and a fellow at the Obesity Society, said BMI measurements have several shortcomings. 'BMI is widely used in clinical settings because it is easy to compute,' she told Healthline. 'However, BMI is a rough measure of body composition, and individuals can be misclassified with overweight or obesity if they are extremely muscular. In addition, someone with a BMI in the 'normal' category could still have a high body fat percentage, which still increases their risk of many chronic diseases,' Krukowski continued. Kirkpatrick expressed similar concerns. 'BMI may offer a general assessment — and the location of fat in the body matters related to risk, [but] the major disadvantage [of BMI] is not being able to assess health risk simply based on the number,' she told Healthline. Measuring body fat percentage In their study, researchers said bioelectrical impedance analysis bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a more accurate way of predicting future health issues. This system works by sending small electric currents throughout the body. Electrodes on the skin measures these currents after they pass through body tissues. These currents move easier through muscle than fat. Other methods of measuring body fat include dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and body circumference measurements. Kirkpatrick said these types of body fat measurements provide a better overall picture. '[Body fat] assessment (and looking at where fat is stored) can help assess risk,' she explained. 'For example, fat stored in the belly is much more dangerous in terms of metabolic risk than fat that is stored in the thighs and buttocks. Genetics play a role as well, with some individuals having more risk based on other factors.' Ali agreed. 'Body fat may be a better measurement of overall health,' he said, noting the disadvantages of these types of measurements are that they can be more expensive and they aren't as easy to calculate as BMI. Krukowski noted similar limitations. 'Each of these methods have their pros and cons,' she said. 'Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans are very accurate, but quite expensive and not available in many clinical settings. Although waist circumference measurement can be quite helpful in predicting disease risk, it is very complicated to do correctly. Finally, as the authors note in the article, bioelectrical impedance analysis machines have not always been able to provide accurate measurement of body fat percentage,' Krukowski continued. 'However, this article indicates that perhaps this bioelectrical impedance analysis technology has improved enough to seriously consider this technology in estimating body fat percentage,' she added. Ali noted there are simple ways for people to assess their overall health, too. For example, if you have trouble walking up stairs or standing up after kneeling, your overall health may not be where it should be. Obesity and health risks The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 40% of U.S. adults have obesity. The condition has a higher prevalence in people in certain groups, including non-Hispanic Black adults and people with less education. There are many health risks associated with obesity. Among them: heart disease stroke high blood pressure liver disease certain cancers pregnancy complications Experts say you can lower your risk of obesity by following a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. For exercise, it's recommended to aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. For diet, experts advise: filling half your plate with vegetables eating more whole grains choosing lean sources of protein (i.e., chicken and seafood) avoiding fried foods avoiding sugary foods avoiding or abstaining from alcohol 'Body weight is just one component of fitness and health,' said Kirkpatrick. 'Dietary patterns, sleep, exercise habits, genetics, and environment all may play a role in an individual's health status.'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BMI is B-A-D, a new study suggests. Here's a better way to measure weight
When it comes to measuring weight, BMI is the acronym everyone loves to hate. Health professionals have long used body mass index as a quick screening tool to fast-track certain patients into a 'code red' management plan — people whose weight puts them in danger of future health problems. The issue is that BMI measures health risk by calculating height and weight. However, muscle and bone weigh more than fat, so BMI measurements can overestimate the danger for people with a muscular build or a larger frame. Conversely, BMI can underestimate health concerns in older adults and anyone who has lost muscle, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Now, authors of a new study say a different approach to weight measurement may be a more accurate way to predict future health issues. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, or BIA, uses undetectable electric currents to measure not only the percentage of body fat but also lean muscle mass and water weight. The technology works like this: You stand on metal plates on the machine while holding your hands or thumbs on another metal attachment held away from the body. Once started, the machine sends a weak electrical current through the body. Body fat, muscle and bone all have different electrical conductivity, so the machine uses algorithms to determine lean muscle mass, body fat percentage and water weight. 'We found body-fat percentage to be a stronger predictor of 15-year mortality risk in adults between the ages of 20 and 49 than BMI,' said Arch Mainous III, lead author of the study published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Family Medicine. When it came to deaths from heart disease, people with high body fat as measured by BIA were 262% times more likely to die than people who had a healthy percentage of body fat, said Mainous, a professor and vice chair of research in community health and family medicine at the University of Florida School of Medicine. 'Now remember, using BMI did not flag any risk at all in this younger population, which isn't one we typically consider to be at high risk for heart disease,' said senior author Dr. Frank Orlando, a clinical associate professor of community health and family medicine at University of Florida Health. 'Think of the interventions we can do to keep them healthy when we know this early. I think it's a game-changer for how we should look at body composition,' Orlando said. BMI is measured by dividing your weight by the square of your height. (If you are mathematically challenged like I am, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator.) In BMI world, a body mass between 18.5 and 24.9 is a healthy weight, between 25 and 29.9 is overweight, between 30 and 34.9 is obese, between 35 and 39.9 is class 2 obesity, and anything greater than 40 is 'severe' or class 3 obesity. People are considered underweight if their BMI is lower than 18.5. Using BMI to measure health risk works — on a population level. Countless studies have shown that a greater BMI really does correlate with developing chronic diseases of all kinds — cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and more. Where BMI fails is at the patient level. Imagine a patient who is 'skinny fat' — thin on the outside but riddled with globs of fat wrapped around major organs on the inside. Your BMI would be fine even though your health was at risk. 'Those people are more likely to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, more likely to have elevated glucose, more likely to have elevated blood pressure, and more likely to have inflammation in general,' Mainous said. All of these health issues can be treated, stopped and in some cases even reversed if caught early enough, he added. While doctors are aware of the issues with BMI, many prefer it 'because it is cheap and easily put into practice,' Mainous said. 'They'd like to use a more direct measurement such as a DEXA scan, but those cost too much and are not widely available, so everyone falls back to the indirect measure of BMI.' DEXA stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and is the gold standard for body mass analysis. Such machines can cost between $45,000 and $80,000, so patients typically travel to a hospital or specialty center to get the scan, Orlando said. The cost to the patient can easily be $400 to $500 per scan, he said. 'However, we found the newer versions of bioelectrical impedance are pretty accurate, giving some valid and reliable results,' Orlando said. One note — at-home based bioelectrical impedance products are not nearly as accurate, said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. 'They can be affected a lot by how much body fluid you have, how hydrated you are,' said Freeman, who was not involved with the new research. 'At-home measurements will only give a ballpark — the clinic-based machines are more precise.' The new study analyzed data on 4,252 men and women who participated in the 1999 to 2004 federal survey called NHANES, or the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a yearly checkup of the nation's health. Technicians measured each person's body composition, including height, weight and waist circumference. In addition, all participants underwent a clinic-based bioelectrical impedance analysis, which measures the body's resistance to electrical currents. Researchers then compared that data with the National Death Index through 2019 to see how many people died. After adjusting for age, race and poverty status, the study found a BMI that labeled someone as obese was not associated with a statistically significant higher risk of death from any cause, when compared with those in healthy BMI range. People with high body fat as measured by bioimpedance analysis, however, were 78% more likely to die from any cause, Mainous said. Measuring waist circumference was also helpful, but not as accurate as body mass. Add that to the 262% higher chance of dying from heart disease found by the study, and it's a no-brainer for doctors to use bioelectrical impedance analysis on patients, Orlando said. 'Let's face it, the magnitude of risk this study shows is enormous,' Freeman said. 'It's scary to think that we may have been using a surrogate — BMI — that may not have been all that accurate over the years.' The study shows how better weight measurements could easily become personalized medicine, Freeman added. 'Imagine you came into your doctor's office,' he said. 'They provided your body fat percentage and an individualized risk assessment. They talked to you about exercise and other lifestyle changes and referred you to a nutritionist. 'They gave you an opportunity to make these changes, and then if needed, helped you out with medication. If the medical profession did this and were able to save many more lives, that would be amazing.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Body fat predicts major health risk that BMI misses, researchers say
Body mass index (BMI) may not be the most accurate predictor of death risk. A new study from the University of Florida found that BMI — a measurement that is commonly used to determine whether a person's weight is in a healthy range for their height — is "deeply flawed" in terms of predicting mortality. Instead, one's level of body fat is "far more accurate," concluded the study, which was published this week in the Annals of Family Medicine. Bmi Is Wrong Way To Measure Obesity, Researchers Say To measure participants' body fat, the researchers used a method called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which uses a device to measure the resistance of body tissue to a small electrical current. Over a 15-year period, those who had high body fat were found to be 78% more likely to die than those who had healthy body fat levels, researchers found. Read On The Fox News App They were also more than three times as likely to die of heart disease, the study noted. BMI — which is calculated by dividing weight by height, squared — was described as "entirely unreliable" in predicting the risk of death over a 15-year period from any cause. The study included 4,252 people in the U.S. and pulled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Men Face Higher Cancer Risk With This Specific Body Fat Measurement BMI should not be relied upon as a "vital sign" of health, according to senior author Frank Orlando, M.D., medical director of UF Health Family Medicine in Springhill. "I'm a family physician, and on a regular basis, we're faced with patients who have diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other conditions that are related to obesity," Orlando said in a press release for the study. "One of the routine measures we take alongside traditional vital signs is BMI. We use BMI to screen for a person having an issue with their body composition, but it's not as accurate for everyone as vital signs are," he added. BMI has been the international standard for measuring obesity since the 1980s, according to many sources, though some experts have questioned its validity. An individual is considered obese if their BMI is 30 or above, overweight if it is between 25 and 29.9, of "normal" weight in the range of 18.5 to 24.9, or underweight if lower than 18.5. While BMI is easy to calculate, one of its main limitations is that it cannot distinguish between muscle and fat mass, the researchers noted. "For example, people who are bodybuilders can really elevate their body mass index," Orlando said. "But they're healthy even with a BMI indicating that they're obese." "BMI is just so ingrained in how we think about body fat," Mainous added. "I think the study shows it's time to go to an alternative that is now proven to be far better at the job." Experimental Drug Helps Patients Lose Nearly A Quarter Of Body Weight In Early Trials Other methods, such as a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan, may be even more accurate than BIA, but are much more expensive and not as accessible, the researchers noted. "If you talk to obesity researchers, they're going to say you have to use the DEXA scan because it's the most accurate," Mainous said in the release. "And that's probably true. But it's never going to be viable in a doctor's office or family practice." Dr. Stephen Vogel — a family medicine physician with PlushCare, a virtual health platform with primary care, therapy and weight management options — echoed the limitations of BMI. "It has been an easy measurement tool that helps us understand at-risk groups across various populations and demographics, but it doesn't provide accurate data from patient to patient," the North Carolina-based doctor, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "These findings don't challenge the assumptions about BMI — they strengthen the message that new standards, delivered in a consistent and low-cost way, would provide better nuance for the individual when it comes to their overall physical health." "The main strengths of this study are a better correlation to an individual's risk of morbidity and mortality — however, the limitations lie in the fact that we don't have enough data to determine the right cutoff for these numbers, or to identify the right tools that will be both accurate and precise across the population," Vogel said. The researchers also acknowledged that body fat percentage thresholds haven't yet been as standardized as BMI and waist circumference. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Also, the age range of the participants in the study was limited by the data source. "Future studies should extend this comparison of body fat to BMI in older adults," the researchers wrote. The study was also limited by focusing only on mortality as an outcome, they noted, without taking into account any developing diseases — such as heart failure or cancer — that could deepen the understanding of body fat as a risk factor. The goal, according to Vogel, is to have a cost-effective, consistent method that can be used across the population with reliable accuracy. "Benefits would come in the form of a more detailed list of information that helps providers and patients make informed decisions about the patient's health, which is ideal," Vogel noted. "I'm hopeful there's enough buzz around these measures that steps will continue to be taken toward regular implementation." For more Health articles, visit The researchers are hopeful that once standards are validated, measuring body fat percentage with bioelectrical impedance analysis could become standard of care. They added, "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office, as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all."Original article source: Body fat predicts major health risk that BMI misses, researchers say
