WEIGHT

MANAGEMENT
Chapter 9
TABLE 9.1
Vital Statistics: Weight of
Americans Age 20 and Older: 2009–2010
Genetic Factors
 Genes influence body size and shape, fat
distribution, metabolic rate, and tendency to
gain weight
 Tendency to develop obesity may be
inherited, but expression of tendency
affected by environmental influences
Physiological Factors
 Metabolism is a key physiological factor in
regulation of body fat and body weight
 Hormones also play a role
 Metabolism and energy balance
 Metabolism is processes by which food energy
and nutrients are made available to and used by
the body
 Energy to maintain vital body functions while body is
at rest is RMR
 RMR about 65-70% of daily energy expenditure
Physiological Factors
 Resting metabolic rate (RMR): Energy
required (in calories) to maintain vital
body functions, including respiration, heart
rate, body temp, and blood pressure, while the
body is at rest
 RMR dictated by many factors, including genes
and behavior
FIGURE 9.3
The energy-balance equation
Lifestyle Factors
 Eating
 People underestimate
portion sizes
 Americans’ average calorie
intake has increased by
18% since 1983
 Physical activity
 On average, Americans
exercise 15 min/day and
watch 170 min/day of TV
and movies
 Weight Gain

Caloric Body
intake weight

Stable body RMR and

weight at higher cost of
caloric intake activity

Cycle leading to higher, but stable body weight at higher energy intake
Diet and Eating Habits
 Total calories
 USDA suggests approximate daily energy intakes
based on gender, age, and activity level
 The best approach for weight loss is to ↑ physical
activity and ↓ calorie intake
 Portion sizes
 Limiting portion sizes critical for weight management
 Energy (calorie) density
 Energy density: number of calories per ounce or
gram of weight in a food
 Fresh fruits and vegetables are low in energy density
TABLE 9.2
Examples of Foods Low in Energy Density

What does 200 calories look like?

Physical Activity and Exercise
 Physical activity burns calories and keeps the
metabolism geared to use food for energy rather
than storing it
 Short bouts of activity throughout the day can produce
many of the same health benefits as continuous physical
activity
 Exercise
 Start a regular exercise program that includes
cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance training, and
stretching
 People who lose weight and don’t regain it typically burn
about 2800 calories/week with exercise
Weight Management
 Focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle
 Combine modest cuts in energy intake with
exercise, and avoid very-low-calorie diets
 Negative energy balance of 250 to 1,000
calories per day will produce weight loss
 Maintaining weight loss can be a bigger
challenge than losing weight
Body Image
 Body image: Mental representation a person
holds about her or his body consisting of
perceptions, images, thoughts, attitudes,
and emotions about the body
 Severe body image problems
 Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
 Body image may bear little resemblance to fact
Body Image
 Acceptance and change
 Weight management needs to take place
in a positive and realistic atmosphere
 Hazards of excessive dieting and
over concern about body weight need
to be countered by change in attitude
 Eating Disorders
 Eating disorder: Serious disturbance in eating
patterns or eating-related behavior
characterized by a negative body image and
concerns about body weight
 Eating disorders affect more than 10 million
American females and 1 million males
Eating Disorders
 Anorexia nervosa:
Eating disorder characterized by refusal
to maintain body weight at a minimally
healthy level and intense fear of gaining
weight or becoming fat; self-starvation
Eating Disorders
 Binge-eating disorder: An eating disorder
characterized by binge eating and a lack of
control over eating behavior in general
 Affects 3% of American adults
 Characterized by uncontrollable eating without
any compensatory purging behaviors
 Binge eaters are almost always obese
Eating Disorders
 Bulimia nervosa: Eating disorder
characterized by recurrent episodes of binge
eating and purging to prevent weight gain
 Purging: The use of vomiting, laxatives, or
diuretics to compensate for food that has been
eaten and that the person fears will produce
weight gain
Eating Disorders
 Borderline Disordered Eating
 Some symptoms of eating disorders but do not
meet full diagnostic criteria for eating disorder
 Treating eating disorders
 Must address problematic eating behaviors and
misuse of food to manage emotions
 Milder patterns may benefit from nutrition
checkup with a registered dietitian