Just a week ago at the doctor's office I took the little time they give you with the doctor to discuss how crazy I thought the body fat percentage charts were. When I looked at my column, I was overweight. And I really thought I had made great strides in taking off the body fat. Are body fat percentage charts accurate?



We have changed so much physically in the past decades that when I see what were considered normal people in the old classic movies, they would be considered bean poles today. And yet, most of these charts are still in use. Plug in your height and weight and age, and bingo - run your finger down the chart to see what you should be.

Here's the basic problem. We know that as we age, and today more than years ago, we put on what doctors call visceral fat; fat that collects around our organs as we age. It's not something that shows up on most body fat tests, certainly not on those fancy bathroom scales. So how is that factored in, I wondered?

Next, I found that if I were going to embark on a rapid weight loss program, I didn't want to lose muscle. Yes, I wanted my muscle! But the fat? Take it! And there are strategies out there I found that burn fat quickly and keep the muscle mainly intact. This worked well for me and many others.

But before you read the body fat percentage chart and think you're doomed because you're off-scale, take a deep breath and relax. You may be just fine. Women by nature have more fat than men. Some tissue, like the breasts, are almost all fat. And there is fat around the hips that men don't normally have. Women need this fat.

Age plays a big part here. As you've heard, our muscles shrink as we grow older, and that visceral fat comes into play in our core. That is why many books state that it is vital to take care of our bodies while we are young because after a certain age, big changes take place that are extremely difficult to reverse.

Since these percentages on the body fat percentage charts are from decades old data, you may be OK if you see you're just off the scale. However, like I mentioned, if you don't feel healthy and feel that it may be because of your body fat, I strongly suggest getting the advice of a doctor and getting into a program like I did to quickly lose body fat and start feeling healthier, clarity of mind.

There are literally hundreds of programs out there and many are simply junk. But a few are worth a look. I took the time to run through what I thought were the best, that had a good support group and that had many "graduates". The hardest part is staying in the game. Don't give up and if you do fall off the wagon - get back on and keep at it. You are worth it and your health... is everything.