Fats provide the medium for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, are a primary contributor to the palatability of food, and are crucial to proper development and survival during the early stages of life – embryonic development and early growth after birth – on through infancy and childhood.
The two types of fat in the body are: essential fat and nonessential fat, or storage fat. Essential fat is needed for normal physiological and biological functioning. Essential fat is that
in bone marrow, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines, muscles and lipid-rich tissue of the central
nervous system with roles other than energy storage. The level of essential fat is approximately 3% of total body weight for men and 12% of total body weight for women
Storage fat is located around internal organs (internal storage fat) and directly beneath the skin (subcutaneous storage fat).
Nonessential fat, known as storage fat, is located around internal organs (internal storage fat) and directly beneath the skin and referred as subcutaneous storage fat. Storage fat is also found surrounding internal organs in the abdominal
cavity and this fat is referred to as visceral fat.
Nonessential fat provides bodily protection and serves as an insulator to conserve body heat. Also as an energy substrate during rest and exercise.
A number of techniques are currently available to assess body fat content. Indirect methods include: body-mass-index (BMI), skinfold anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, underwater weighing, and body water dilution.
Direct methods for body-fat measurements: CT and MRI to measure adipose tissue content and distribution.
Fat in human body
