Final answer:
The statement about total body fat being the quantity of fat throughout the body shown as either a percentage or weight is correct. Factors including sex, age, and physical activity influence fat mass, and methods like skin-fold testing or waist measurement are used to assess body fat and health risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that total body fat is the amount of fat throughout the body expressed in either body fat percentage or weight in body fat is TRUE. Body fat is a significant predictor of disease risk and varies by factors such as sex, age, and physical activity level. Measurements of body fat content can provide important health indicators related to the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. For females, the optimal fat content ranges between 20 and 30 percent, and for males, between 12 and 20 percent. Body fat distribution also plays a vital role in health, with visceral fat, which is stored in the abdominal cavity, being a stronger indicator of disease risk than subcutaneous fat.
Several methods are used to measure body fat, such as the skin-fold test and measuring waist circumference. While the skin-fold test is a noninvasive method for estimating fat mass, waist circumference measurement aids in assessing the amount of visceral fat. A mathematically derived measurement such as the body mass index (BMI) is also commonly used to assess fat content and overall health, though its accuracy can be limited for certain populations.