Managing Weight/Eating DisordersChapter 11, pages 288-315

Calories• Calories are the unit to

measure energy.• They are the measure of

the energy in food and the energy your body burns through activity.

• Carbohydrates & protein supply 4 calories per gram, and fat supplies 9 calories per gram.

• The number of calories is dependent on:– The amount of

carbohydrate, fat, and protein in food

– The portion size– The way a food is

prepared or cooked

Energy Balance & Metabolism• You need to balance the

amount of calories you consume with how many calories you burn with activity.

• Metabolism is the process by which the body breaks down substances and gets energy from food

• One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories. Thus if you consume 500 fewer calories than you use every day, you will lose 1 pound per week.

Body Mass Index (BMI)• Body Mass Index (BMI) is

a measure of body weight relative to height.

• It should not be used as a predictor of health risk by athletes, body builders, and pregnant women due to abnormally high BMI’s.

Weighing Too Much1. Overweight – weighing

more than 10% over the standard weight range for your height.

You may also be overweight due to excess muscle tissue, not excess fat.

Weighing Too Much2. Obese – excess body fat

(adipose tissue). Weighing more than 20% over the standard weight range for your height.

• People have a higher risk of health problems including:– Hypertension– Diabetes– High blood cholesterol– Atherosclerosis– Cancer

• Some cause of obesity include:– Hereditary factors– Slow metabolism– Having more fat cells

(which get smaller but not decrease in number)

Weighing Too Much

• Set point theory – the body works to maintain a biological set point for weight and body fat by lowering the metabolic rate when caloric intake decreases.

Weighing Too Little1. Underweight – being

10% or more below the normal weight range for your height.

• You may have little body fat as an energy reserve, and perhaps less protective nutrients the body stores making it harder to fight off infections, and have a greater chance of developing iron-deficiency anemia

Weighing Too Little2. Undernutrition – not

consuming enough essential nutrients or calories for normal body function.

Managing Your WeightSteps for a weight control plan include:1.Choose a target weight that is within a healthy range and not too thin.2.Set realistic goals. Losing or gaining ½ to 1 pound per week is realistic, attainable, and safe3.Make a personal plan, considering your own food preferences and lifestyle (activities)

4. Put your goal and plan in writing.

5. Stick to your plan and keep a diary of what you eat and the activities you do.

6. Think positively and focus on progress (slip-ups occasionally occur and are alright)

Managing Your Weight7. Evaluate your progress

by weighing yourself once a week at the same time of day (not every day).

8. Recognize that plateaus (when weight doesn’t change) are normal. If you continue to exercise, you will lower your set point.

Weight-Loss StrategiesEat fewer calories and burn more calories through exercise.•Teens should eat at least 1400-1600 calories daily to make sure they get enough essential nutrients.•Choose nutrient-dense foods – fruits, vegetables & whole grain supply nutrients with fewer calories.

Weight-Loss Strategies• Watch portion sizes –

stick to recommended portion sizes for each major food group on ChooseMyPlate.gov.

• Eat fewer foods that are high in fats and added sugars – these add calories without many nutrients.

Weight-Loss Strategies• Enjoy your favorite foods

in moderation.• Be active.• Tone your muscles – since

muscle tissue takes more calories to maintain than fat, increasing your muscle mass means that your body will use more calories.

• Stay hydrated.

Weight-Gain StrategiesTo gain healthy weight, continue a regular exercise program while using the following strategies:•Select foods from the 5 major food groups that are higher in calories – choose whole milk instead of low-fat or fat-free milk

• Choose higher calorie, nutrient-rich foods (e.g., nuts, dried fruits, cheese, avocados).

Weight-Gain Strategies• Eat nutritious snacks –

enjoy nutritious snacks more often to increase your daily calorie intake.

• Get regular physical activity – physical activity will ensure that most of the weight you gain is muscle rather than fat.

Benefits of Regular Exercise• Burns calories, which

promotes loss of body fat.• It tones and builds muscle

to give a firm, lean body shape.

• Helps promote a normal appetite response.

• Helps relieve stress.• Helps increase metabolic

rate & help lower your biological set point.

• Increases self-esteem.

Fad Diets• Fad diets typically

promise quick and easy weight loss

• People on these diets may lose weight temporarily, but they usually regain it after going off the diet.

Fad Diets• Beware of any diet that:– Involves eating only one

food– Claims that you can eat

anything you want or as much as you want without exercising.

– Promises quick results– Supplies too few calories

(below 1400 calories) for energy and health.

– Requires a weight-loss aid, such as a vitamin pill, a body wrap, a liquid shake, or an appetite suppressant; or the purchase of books or DVDs.

– Promises spot-reducing.– Does not teach a person

how to make lifestyle changes to achieve permanent weight loss.

Weight Cycling (seesaw or yo-yo dieting)

• The cycle of losing, regaining, losing, and regaining.

• Weight cycling may be more unhealthy than being slightly overweight because lean muscle tissue that is lost along with body fat is replaced with more body fat so a person requires fewer and fewer calories to maintain weight and losing weight becomes harder and harder.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

1. Miracle Foods• These plans promise you

can “burn fat” by eating lots of a single food or type of food.

• There is no single food that can destroy fat.

• Moreover, eating only certain types of food will not give your body all the nutrients it needs.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

2. High-Protein Diets• Using protein as the

only source of nutrients can result in serious health problems, even death, and needs to be closely supervised by a health care practitioner.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

3. Magic Combinations• These plans promise

that certain foods will trigger weight loss when they’re eaten together.

• The food combinations may be safe to eat as part of an over-all healthy diet, but there’s no evidence that combining certain foods will lead to weight loss.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

4. Liquid Diets• These plans replace

solid food with ultra-low-calorie liquid formulas.

• These diets can lead to dangerous side effects if they are followed incorrectly.

• However, doctors may recommend them (with supervision) for people who are seriously obese.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

5. Diet Pills• Some diet pills and

supplements claim to suppress your appetite so that you eat less.

• Others claim to “block” or “flush” fat from your body.

• Diet pills can be addictive.• In addition, they may

cause drowsiness, anxiety, a racing heart, or other serious side effects.

Other Risky Weight-Loss Strategies

6. Fasting• Fasting deprives the

body of needed nutrients and can result in dehydration.

• Some religious and cultural customs require people to fast for short periods, such as specific days or times of the day during certain months

• This kind of short-term fasting is safe for most people.

Eating Disorders1. Anorexia Nervosa• A disorder in which the

irrational fear of becoming obese results in severe weight-loss from self-induced starvation.

• Anorexia means (without appetite) and Nervosa means “of nervous origin”.

• It’s a psychological disorder with emotional and physical consequences.

• It relates directly with a person’s self concept and coping abilities.

Eating DisordersBehaviors & Emotions:– Extremely low caloric

intake.– An obsession with

exercising.– Emotional problems.– Unnatural interest in

food.– Unrealistic or distorted

sense of body image.– Denial of an eating

problem.

Eating DisordersPhysical symptoms:– Extreme weight loss.– Constipation– Hormonal changes.– Heart damage.– Impaired immune

function– Decreases heart rate– Cessation of menstrual

cycle– Death

Eating Disorders2. Bulimia Nervosa• A disorder in which

cycles of overeating are followed by some form of purging or clearing of the digestive tract.

• A person with bulimia follows a restrictive diet, then binges when hungry, and then purges by vomiting or abusing laxatives.

• After a binge, a person may try to follow a severely restrictive diet in order to restore a sense of control and avoid the possibility of weight gain.

Eating DisordersBehaviors and emotions:• Misguided notion that

once the perfect figure is attained, everything in life will be fine.

• Often secretive, but know that they have a problem.

Eating DisordersPhysical Symptoms:• Vomiting and diarrhea

which can lead to dehydration, kidney damage and irregular heartbeat.

• Chronic vomiting erodes tooth enamel, causes tooth decay, and damages tissue in the stomach, esophagus, and mouth.

• Nutrient deficiencies may develop

• Damage of blood composition

Eating Disorders3. Binge Eating Disorder• A disorder in which

people overeat compulsively.

• A person with this disorder binge in much the same way people with bulimia do, eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, but they do not purge.

• The binges are not as frequent as with bulimia.

• It is more common in males.

Eating DisordersBehaviors and emotions:• Usually triggered by some

emotional episode.• They feel guilty and

disgusted after binging, but feel powerless to stop.

Eating DisordersPhysical symptoms:• Become overweight or

obese.• May develop health

problems associated with obesity.