The Consequences of unhealthy body composition and excess body weight often lead to obesity, which is associated with serious health consequences including: heart disease, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, back pain, certain types of cancer, estrogen-related problem, excess fatigue, sleep apnea, stroke, high cholesterol, diabetes, respiratory problems, kidney disorders, gallbladder disorders, osteoarthritis, urinary incontinence.
Metabolic syndrome affects approximately 46% of Americans, and is characterized by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood insulin and glucose levels. People with metabolic syndrome are at greater risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. As a rule, a waist circumference greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women significantly increases the risk
of metabolic syndrome.
Even hormone balance can be affected by unhealthy body composition, because estrogen can be produced in fat tissue. An increase in fat-to-muscle mass could therefore lead to an imbalance in estrogen. Estrogen imbalance has been associated with premenstrual syndrome, uterine fibroid tumors, fibrocystic or painful breasts, cervical dysplasia, endometriosis, systemic lupus erythematosis and breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.
Body weight alone (what the scale says) is not a definitive assessment of body composition. Even after losing weight, you might still be considered over-fat. This occurs when the weight you lose comes predominantly from muscle and not from fat-producing unhealthy body composition. Having excess fat on the inside but looking normal on the outside may result in disease risks that are similar to those who appear overtly overweight. Where fat accumulates also impacts the degree of risk. Excess fat that is concentrated near the waist--a condition generally referred to as central adiposity or an "apple" shape--greatly increases the risk of disease.
Several simple, non-invasive methods are available that can estimate body composition.
These include waist-to-hip ratio, skin-fold thickness, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
There is no single cause of unhealthy body composition. Excessive fat accumulation can result from an imbalance between the calories you take in and the calories you burn; lack of physical activity; lifestyle influences such as a high-fat, high-sugar diet; overeating; excess alcohol intake; chronic use of corticosteroids; hormone imbalance; and other metabolic factors.
A healthy body composition preserves lean muscle mass, reduces the risk of disease and may decrease the likelihood that fat will return. This is because a higher ratio of muscle-to-fat may increase the body's metabolic rate, enabling the body to more effectively burn calories each day.
Advanced Nutrition Publications, Inc.
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