KNOW YOUR FATS: Daily Fat intake required daily based on Age, Lifestyle and Body type
Let’s get straight to the point – Dietary fats are required by your body to perform certain crucial as well as regular functions. Not only are they one of the most efficient energy sources, they also protect our organs, carry protein and help maintain healthy heart health.
This said, it is of utmost importance to differentiate the good fats from the bad fats.
While every type of fat is of same calorific value (1gm fat = 9 cal.), it is their structural bonds that makes them good or bad for the body. The good fats include the unsaturated fat – Monounsaturated fat & Polyunsaturated fat. The bad fats are – Saturated fat & Trans fat.
How much Fat should you add in your diet?
Because they are calorie heavy as compared to protein or carbs, it is important to count and consume the good fats in moderation to reap the maximum health benefits. Otherwise, anything in excess will make you gain weight.
Here, we break down the amount of fat you should intake based on – body type, lifestyle and age.
Broadly, we can classify body typesinto three categories-
Ectomorph: Lean and long, with difficulty in building muscle.
This body type has a fast metabolic rate and a high carbohydrate tolerance.
Endomorph: Big, high body fat, often pear-shaped, with a high tendency to store body fat.
This body type has a greater propensity to store energy, including both lean mass and fat mass. This can also mean a lower carbohydrate tolerance.
Mesomorph: Muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells..
FAT INTAKE BREAKDOWN:
The above nutrient distribution as per the body type can be adopted as per the gender, age and lifestyle in the following manner –
Women
| Life Style |
Age (in years) |
Total Calories |
|
20 – 30 |
2200 |
| Moderate |
30-50 |
2000 |
|
50> |
1800 |
|
20-30 |
2400 |
| Active |
30-50 |
2200 |
|
50> |
2000 |
|
20-30 |
2000 |
| Sedentary |
30-50 |
1800 |
|
50> |
1600 |
Men
| Life Style |
Age (in years) |
Total Calories |
|
20 – 30 |
2700 |
| Moderate |
30-50 |
2500 |
|
50> |
2300 |
|
20-30 |
3000 |
| Active |
30-50 |
2800 |
|
50> |
2600 |
|
20-30 |
2400 |
| Sedentary |
30-50 |
2200 |
|
50> |
2000 |
FAT INTAKE CALCULATION:
You can calculate your daily fat requirement by fat percentage required as per body type multiplied by total calorie requirement as per your gender, age and lifestyle.
Body type fat % * f (gender, age, lifestyle) = total fat calorie intake
Total fat calories divided by 9 = total fat (grams) intake
For example, if you are a woman of 30 years with a moderate lifestyle and body type ectomorph, your daily fat requirement would be calculated as follows –
20% (ectomorph fat %) * 2200 (woman, 30 y/o, moderate lifestyle) = 440 calories
(since 1gm fat = 9 cal., your total fat intake in grams would be approx. 48 gms)
