About John J. Porterfield Expertise I can answer questions if you are a student in the grade range of preschool through 12th. I can answer questions about your school health class assignments. I can help you with your school health class homework. I can answer general health questions you might have on the topics of Abuse & Addiction, Anatomy, Death & Dying, Diet & Nutrition, Emotional Development, Exercise & Lifestyle Choices, Fitness & Nutrition, Genes & Inherited Risks, Illness & Disease, Medicine & Treatments, Workplace Health, World Health, Safety, Social & Emotional Health, Social Skills, and The Body. I can also make arrangements to help you with your school health class assignments and homework via live chat, if you prefer. IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR SCHOOL HEALTH CLASS ASSIGNMENTS OR HOMEWORK, PLEASE TYPE THE ENTIRE QUESTION YOU NEED HELP WITH.
Experience I am a School Health Education Major studying to obtain degrees in School Health and Education and plan to teach in the preschool through 12th grade range, and eventually work my way up to the college/university level. I have attended The University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA; Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA; Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA; and am currently studying at Allegheny County Community College in Pittsburgh, PA. I plan to transfer to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, OH in the Spring of 2005 and complete my education there.
Expert: John J. Porterfield Date: 10/3/2004 Subject: Weight and Intake of Saturated Fats
Question Hi,
I am a 13 year old teen who weighs 45 kilograms and is
151 cm tall. My waist size is 28 inches. Can you calculate
my body fat percentage and is it ideal?
I also want to know more about saturated fats, in Australia
the recommended saturated fat intake should be no more
than 25 grams. From my diet at present, I calculated my
intake of saturated fats which came to a total of 15-20
grams. Is this bad for someone my age?
How much saturated fat would I have to have daily to
increase my risk of experiencing a heart attack by 50%?
Thanks,
-Rebecca
Answer Rebecca--
With a height of 151 cm and a weight of 45 kg, your body fat percentage (also called Body Mass Index or BMI) would be 19.7. Normal weight is between 18.5 and 24.9, so your weight is normal. On a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, 600 calories can come from fat; that is about 67 grams. Ideally, this should be in a ratio of 1:2:1 of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat, meaning that no more than 100 calories should come from saturated fat; that is about 11 grams. You should reduce saturated fat by eating less butter, cream, cheese, and other full-fat dairy products, unskinned chicken, fatty meats, and products made with palm and coconut oil. Use olive oil as a principal oil in cooking. Limit your consumption of polyunsaturated vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame) and avoid margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils. Also, avoid fried foods in restaurants, especially fast-food restaurants. Be sure to eat sources of omega-3 fats: oily fish, fortified eggs, soy foods, walnuts, flax, and hemp seeds. There is not a specific amount of saturated fat you would have to ingest daily to increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack by 50%. Every body is different. Every gram over the recommended 11 grams would increase your risk. Other factors that could increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack include high blood pressure (hypertension), high LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol), high triglycerides, high blood glucose (sugar), family history of premature heart disease, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, and stress!
