{"id":695314,"date":"2026-07-16T18:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/695314\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T18:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T18:55:21","slug":"fitness-influencer-shows-how-different-body-fat-percentages-can-completely-transform-the-same-face","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/695314\/","title":{"rendered":"Fitness Influencer Shows How Different Body Fat Percentages Can Completely Transform The Same Face"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fitness influencer Diana Kadraliyeva, known for sharing home workout routines and nutrition advice, recently highlighted how changes in body composition can dramatically alter facial features.<\/p>\n

In a June 17 video, she simulated a person\u2019s appearance at body fat percentages ranging from 10% to 50%, sparking a heated online debate over which look was most attractive.<\/p>\n

While some viewers described the higher body fat depiction as \u201ccute\u201d and criticized the 10% version as looking \u201cgaunt\u201d or \u201cskeletal,\u201d others favored the opposite.<\/p>\n

Dr. Kevin Gendreau, MD, a Massachusetts-based, board-certified obesity medicine physician, cautioned against glorifying extremely low body fat levels, emphasizing that adipose tissue plays an essential role in overall health.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve spent decades demonizing body fat, but fat is a vital endocrine organ,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A fitness influencer demonstrates how different body fat percentages can transform the same face<\/p>\n

Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova\/Unsplash (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

Kadraliyeva\u2019s video began with showing a woman with 50% body fat. <\/p>\n

She had a softer, rounder facial structure, while lower levels<\/a>\u2014ranging from 30% to 10%\u2014showed sharper definition, including a more sculpted jawline and prominent cheekbones.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour face is often the first place where changes in body composition become visible,\u201d the influencer said in the caption.<\/p>\n

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Image credits: Diana Kadraliyeva<\/a><\/p>\n

She attributed the changes in facial features to \u201chuman physiology<\/a>,\u201d claiming a body fat range of 18% to 25% is generally considered a healthy balance for most women.<\/p>\n

At these body fat percentages, she claimed, \u201cfacial features tend to look naturally defined without appearing either puffy or overly lean.\u201d<\/p>\n

She, however, did not impose the numbers on her followers and instead asked them, \u201cAt what body fat % do you think the face looks its best?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Many agreed on 20%, while some voted for 30%.<\/p>\n

One user, however, suggested that women \u201cabove 30 years old should have more than 30% body fat, otherwise they start looking gaunt.<\/a>\u201c<\/p>\n

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Image credits: Magnific\/freepik (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

Another commenter said that 10% is \u201cextremely rare and biologically difficult for women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis level sits at the absolute minimum \u2018essential fat\u2019 limit required for basic human survival, making it exceptionally challenging to achieve and generally unhealthy to maintain long-term.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving low body fat can k*ll you if you get sick,\u201d a separate user commented.<\/p>\n

The risks of low body fat led many to reconsider the benefits of higher percentages\"\"<\/p>\n

Image credits: Magnific\/freepik (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

A December 2021 study by researchers at the University of East Anglia and the Quadram Institute found that the body\u2019s fat stores play a crucial role in helping immune cells<\/a> fight microbial threats.<\/p>\n

The team studied Salmonella, a bacterial infection that can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and, in severe cases, sepsis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By tracking fatty acid movement and consumption in live stem cells, researchers analyzed how the immune system responds to infection, including its impact on liver health.<\/p>\n

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Image credits: Fellipe Ditadi\/Unsplash (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

They discovered that when an infection occurs, signals in the bone marrow \u2014 where blood stem cells are produced \u2014 cause fat cells (adipocytes) to release stored fats as high-energy fatty acids into the bloodstream<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These fatty acids are then absorbed by blood stem cells, providing the energy needed to rapidly produce millions of white blood cells that help fight off Salmonella infections.<\/p>\n

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Image credits: Ella Olsson\/Unsplasg (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Stuart Rushworth of UEA\u2019s Norwich Medical School corroborated the findings at the time, saying, \u201cFighting infection takes a lot of energy, and fat stores are huge energy deposits, which provide the fuel for the blood stem cells to power up the immune response.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking out the mechanism through which this \u2018fuel boost\u2019 works gives us new ideas on how to strengthen the body\u2019s fight against infection in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

One should strive for a body fat percentage north of double digits, per experts\"\"<\/p>\n

Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova\/Unsplash (not an actual photo)<\/a><\/p>\n

Healthline estimates the acceptable body fat percentage at 25-31% for females and 18-24% for males.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFat plays an essential role in hormone production, temperature regulation, and, of course, energy storage,\u201d Dr. Gendreau told GQ India in March.<\/p>\n

While he acknowledged that excessive body fat can pose a risk to one\u2019s health, he said fixating on low body fat isn\u2019t healthy either.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen body fat percentage drops too low for too long, things start to malfunction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Paul Kriegler, a registered dietitian, personal trainer, and director of nutritional product development at Life Time, meanwhile, criticized unhealthy practices\u2014such as starvation and GLP-1 use<\/a>\u2014that some engage in to achieve the desired result.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that needs to be done to get there and stay that low puts a lot of extra stress on the body,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can strain your neurotransmitter production, your mental health, your mood, your focus, your memory, your cognitive function, and your hormone production.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose can start to shift in a negative direction. If you\u2019re surfing too fine a line to stay lean, something is going to give.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world where fat loss is just a few jabs away, it\u2019s especially important to be aware of these risks,\u201d Kriegler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy face is round, no matter how much I weigh,\u201d a netizen said in response to Kadraliyeva\u2019s video\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"