Chapter 6

Managing Weight and Body Composition

Lesson 1

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

The Weight-Calorie Connection

• Body Image: the way you see your body– Affected by several factors……???

• Calories: units used to measure energy, both in food and the energy your body uses

• Energy Balance: the calories you consume must equal the calories your body burns

The Weight-Calorie Connection

• Calories: Their Source– Some foods have more calories than others– Carbohydrates, proteins and fats as well as portion size adds up

calories– Carbohydrates and proteins supply four calories per gram,

whereas fats supply more than twice that with nine calories per gram.

• The Energy Equation– If you take in fewer calories than you burn you will lose weight– If you take in more calories than you burn, you gain weight– Adding just 100 extra calories to your daily food intake without

changing your activity level will add 10 pounds to your weight in one year

Determining Your Appropriate Weight Range

• Your appropriate weight is influenced by several factors: gender, age, height, body frame, growth rate, metabolic rate and activity level

• Body Mass Index (BMI) – ratio that allows you to asses your body size in relation to your height and weight– BMI = weight (in pounds) x 703/[height (in

inches)]^2• Figure 6.1 – pg. 146

Body Composition

• Body Composition: the ratio of body fat to lean body tissue– Body Weight vs. Body Fat

• Overweight: a condition in which a person is heavier than the standard weight range for her height

• Obesity: refers specifically to having excess amount of body fat

Weight-Related Health Risks

• Overweight: A Health Risk– Excess body fat strains the muscles and the skeletal

system– It forces the heart and lungs to work harder and

increases the risk of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol

– Increase the risk of type 2 diabetes– Overweight and obesity is the cause of consuming

excess calories and from physical inactivity, genetics can play a role

– Dietary Guidelines for Americans: ABC

Weight-Related Health Risks, cont.

• Underweight: A Health Risk– A condition in which a person is less than the

standard weight range for her height– Cause of genetics or fast metabolism– Some people diet or exercise excessively to

stay thin– A person who is too thin has little stored fat to

provide the body with an energy reserve and may not be consuming enough calories and nutrients for health and growth

Healthful Ways to Manage Weight

• Formal Weight Management Plan:– Target your appropriate weight– Set realistic goals– Personalize your plan– Put your goal and plan in writing– Evaluate your progress

Healthy Weight Loss/Gain Strategies

• Loss– Eat 1,700 to 1,800

calories daily to meet your body’s energy needs

– Include your favorites in moderation

– Eat a variety of low-calorie, nutrient dense foods

– Drink plenty of water

• Gain– Increase your caloric

intake– Eat often and take

second helpings– Eat nutritious snacks– Build muscle

Physical Activity and Weight Management

• Whether you want to lose, gain or maintain weight, regular physical activity should be part of your plan

• Aerobic exercise burns calories and helps lose fat

• Weight lifting, resistance training will increase muscle mass and produce firm, lean body shape

• Added benefits to regular physical activity:– Helps relieve stress, promotes a normal appetite

response, increases self-esteem

Lesson 2

Fad Diets and Eating Disorders

Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

• Fad Diets– Weight-loss plans that are popular for only a short

time– Usually hard to stick with because they limit food

variety– Severely restrict the foods a dieter eats therefore they

fail to provide the body with the nutrients it needs for health and growth

– Any weight lost on fad diets is usually regained– Examples???

Liquid Diets

• A person on a liquid diet replaces all of his or her food intake with a special liquid formula

• Very low calorie diets and do not meet the body’s energy needs, often feel fatigued

• Do not provide the body with fiber and needed nutrients, rely on high-protein and low-carb liquids as the only source of nutrients and can cause serious health problems and even death

• US Food and Drug Administration require these products to carry warning labels and recommends that they be used only under close medical supervision

Fasting

• To fast is to abstain from eating• Might seem like a quick way to lose weight but

fasting for more than short periods deprives your body of needed nutrients and energy

• Without a fresh supply of nutrients each day your body starts to break down the proteins in your muscle tissue for energy

• Some religions and cultural rituals involve brief periods of fasting – it is not dangerous for the average person – might not be good for diabetics or other health conditions

Diet Pills

• Many diet pills work by suppressing appetite• May cause drowsiness, anxiety, a racing heart,

or other serious side affects • May be addictive• Some cause the body to lose more water than

normal, leading to dehydration• Diet pills claim to “burn”, “block”, or “flush” fat

from the body, but a low-risk pill that meets these claims has not yet been developed

Weight Cycling

• The repeated pattern of loss and regain of body weight

• Is common in people who follow fad diets• Fad diets or products may seem to help

people lose weight quickly, but weight loss is usually from water, not body fat

• Water weight lost is quickly regained• Slow and steady weight loss is the best

strategy for long-lasting results

The Risk of Eating Disorders

• Effort to lose weight can get out of control• Becoming obsessed with thinness can lead to eating

disorders• Eating disorders – an extreme, harmful eating behavior

that can cause serious illness or even death• Exact cause is unknown, might be brought on by mental

or emotional factors such as poor body image, social and family pressures and perfectionism

• 90 percent of those with eating disorders are females, estimated one percent of females ages 16-18 have this illness

• People who suffer from this need professional help

Anorexia Nervosa• Disorder in which the irrational fear of becoming obese

results in sever weight loss from self-imposed starvation• Psychological disorder with emotional and physical

consequences • It relates to a persons self-concept and coping abilities• Outside pressures, need to feel accepted, high expectations

and a need to achieve are characteristics of anorexia• Genetics and other biological factors may play a role in the

development of this disorder• Symptoms include: extremely low caloric intake, an

obsession with exercising, emotional problems, unnatural interest in food, distorted body image, denial of an eating problem

Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa

• Physical: – malnutrition and starvation, drastic reduction of body

fat may cause females to stop menstruating – Loss of bone density, low body temperature, low

blood pressure, slowed metabolism, reduction in organ size

– Irregular heart beat that can lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death

• Treatment: clinic or hospital to regain weight and strength by nutrients, as well as psychological treatment

Bulimia Nervosa

• Disorder in which some form of purging or clearing of the digestive tract following cycles of overeating

• Person usually fasts or follows a strict diet and then binges, or quickly consumes large amounts of foods

• After eating, the person may vomit or take laxatives to purge the food from the body

• After the purge the person will try to diet again to gain a sense of control and avoid putting on weight

• Most likely the cause is societal pressure, self-esteem issues, and family problems

Health Consequences of Bulimia Nervosa

• Repeated binging, purging, and fasting can cause serious health problems and even death

• Frequent vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, kidney damage and irregular heart beat

• Vomiting can destroy teeth enamel, causes tooth decay, damages the tissues of the stomach, esophagus and mouth

• Frequent use of laxatives disrupts digestion and absorption and may cause nutrient deficiencies, change the composition of the blood

• Treatment: medical and psychological counseling

Binge Eating Disorder

• Disorder characterized by compulsive overeating, consume large amounts of food at one time but do not try to purge

• This disorder may signal the use of food as a coping mechanism for strong emotions or depression

• Treatment: professional psychological counseling and sometimes medication

• Health Consequences: unhealthful weight gain, which contributes to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, gall bladder problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased risk of certain types of cancer

Help For Eating Disorders

• People with eating disorders need professional medical and psychological help

• Benefit from support groups and clinics

• If you believe a friend might be developing an eating disorder, discuss it with a trusted adult, such as a parent, counselor or school nurse

Lesson 3

Nutrition for Individual Needs

Performance Nutrition

• The Training Diet – Balanced, moderate, varied– Physical activity burns more calories active individuals

have to eat more calories to maintain energy and weight• Hydration

– Body loses fluids through perspiration, breathing and waste elimination

– Fluids must be replaced to avoid dehydration and heatstroke

– Being dehydrated can lead to and imbalance of electrolytes-minerals that help maintain the body’s fluid balance

– The minerals sodium, chloride and potassium are all electrolytes

– Rehydration: restoring lost body fluids – hydrate before, during and after heavy workouts

Vegetarianism

• Vegetarian: is a person who eats mostly or only plant foods– Some people do it for cultural or religious reasons,

concern for the environment or how food animals are raised or slaughtered, or for health reasons

– Figure 6.3 – Vegetarian Eating Plans• Lacto-ovo• Lacto• Ovo• Vegan

Vegetarians: Meeting Nutrient Needs

• Vegetarians need to eat a variety of incomplete proteins in a way that will yield complete proteins over the course of a day– Make sure to get enough iron, zinc and vitamin B

(nutrients often found in animal products)– Key: eat nutrient-dense foods, include fruits and

vegetables, leafy greens, whole-grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy foods or eggs

– Vegans: vegetarians who eat only plant foods • Must obtain vitamin D, Vitamin B-12 and Calcium

Dietary Supplements

• Non-food form of one or more nutrients• May contain vitamins, minerals, fiber,

protein, or herbs• Can be pill, capsule, powder or liquid form• Eating healthful meals and snacks

according to the Food Guide Pyramid can provide you with all the nutrients your body needs, however taking a multivitamin or supplement may be appropriate

Risks of Dietary Supplements

• Megadose: very large amount of dietary supplement, may be dangerous

• Example: Vitamin A, D, E and K are stored in body fat and may cause toxicity if taken in large amounts

• Herbal Supplement: chemical substance from plants that may be sold as a dietary supplement

• Often are sold as “natural” nutrition aids, however the safety and nutritional claims of many of these products are not based on conclusive scientific evidence

Nutrition Throughout the Life Span

• People have different nutritional needs at different stages of life

• Many children and most teens need more calories a day than less active adults

• While the nutritional needs of these groups vary slightly, most people can get all the calories and nutrients they need each day by following the recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid

Nutrition During Pregnancy• Developing fetus depends on its mother for all its needs,

important for pregnant females to eat healthfully and to avoid harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol and other drugs

• Pregnant females are encouraged to increase their intake of: folate, iron and calcium– Folate: folic acid, prevent spinal defects, sources are

vitamin B – fruits, dark green leafy veggies, fortified grain products

– Iron: increase blood volume, helps build and renew hemoglobin, sources are meat, poultry, fish, dark green leafy veggies, enriched grain products

– Calcium: build the bones and teeth of fetus and helps replace any calcium taken from the mother’s bones, sources are dairy products, dark green leafy veggies, canned fish with edible bones, calcium fortified cereals and juices

Nutrition for Infants and Young Children

• Breastfeeding is the best way to feed infants• If breastfeeding is not possible, fortified formulas

provide the nutrients that infants need • After a child’s first birthday many parents

substitute whole milk for formula or breast milk• The fats in whole milk provide essential nutrients

for a child’s developing nervous system• As a child gets older reduce the whole milk to

low fat milk

Nutrition and Older Adults

• Most older adults can get all the calories and nutrients they need each day by following the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid

• In certain cases a dietary supplement and/or vitamins may be needed