Also known as excess fat in the body, this fat stores surplus energy that can be used as fuel during periods of starvation. Unnecessary fat for the body also serves to protect and insulate the body.

What is non-essential body fat?

Your body needs some fat to perform necessary and healthy functions. This essential body fat is stored in bones, organs, the central nervous system, and in your muscles. Men and women require different amounts of essential body fat.

Fat that is not necessary for vital functions is called non-essential fat. This excess or surplus fat is used for storage, insulation, and protection of vital organs. Non-essential fat can be stored around organs (known as visceral fat) or it can be stored throughout the body beneath the skin (known as subcutaneous fat).

Why do I have excess body fat?

There are various reasons why you may end up with more fat than you need. Hormones, genetics, family history, and certain medical conditions can affect the amount of non-essential fat you have in your body. But generally, excess body fat is the result of consuming too many calories throughout the day.

If you eat fatty foods or if you consume more calories than necessary each day, your body will store the extra calories as fat. Even if the food you eat is healthy or provides important nutritional benefits, you will gain fat if you overeat.

Another reason people may gain body fat is due to a lack of activity. For example, if you eat a balanced diet and keep your calorie intake low, your sedentary lifestyle may lead to obesity.

How to get rid of non-essential body fat

Before thinking about eliminating excess fat, you should measure your body fat percentage. Compare your number to see if your body fat percentage is healthy or if you are overweight. If you need to reduce fat on your body, there are several different methods you can choose from.

• Diet. Dieting is one of the most popular ways to reduce unnecessary fat in the body. You can reduce the amount of food you consume each day to create a calorie deficit for weight loss.
• Exercise. Physical activity from exercise or non-exercise activities can help you lose fat. If you are new to exercising or if you are overweight, you should start slowly to avoid injury or exhaustion. You can start home workouts to burn fat and calories.
• Combination of diet and exercise. Many smart dieters can lose fat by combining a healthy calorie-reduced diet with exercise to burn more calories. This combined approach is one of the most effective ways to reduce fat and keep the weight from coming back.
• Surgical methods. There are a variety of medical procedures to reduce body fat. These procedures should be performed by a board-certified physician and can be expensive, but they are a good option for some overweight or obese candidates.

Fat is an important component of your body. But it is essential to keep the amount of non-essential fat in the body at a healthy level for long-term health.