Define about the Composition of Body Weight?
You might have read in previous units that our body weight is composed of muscle bone and fat. Segregating these components of body weight into different compartments gives an idea of body composition. Broadly, we can classify body composition into two components: the fat mass (FM) and the fat free mass (FFM). The fat free mass includes muscle, bone and water. The fat mass includes all of the fat stores in the body.
Two persons weighing 60 kg may differ in their body composition. One might have a higher percentage of body fat while the other may have a higher fat free mass. It is the fat mass which is generally viewed with a negative image because of its detrimental effects on health and performance and efforts have been made to lay down normal levels of fat in the body. The average fat content of the body is 15% for men and 25% for women with a wider range of normal fatness, 10-25% for men and 18-32% for women. The body fat can be further categorized as essential fat, storage fat and non-essential fat.