Weight Loss Eating Plan Biography
Source:- Google.com.pkA stable weight depends on a balance between the energy you get from food and the energy you use.
When a person consumes more calories than the energy they use, the body stores the extra calories in fat cells (lipocytes).
When a person burns up more calories than they consume, they will lose weight.
Fat cells grow or shrink depending on how people use energy. If people do not balance energy input and output by eating right and exercising, fat can build up. This leads to weight gain.
Overweight Epidemic in Children
Teaching parents healthy life style skills can lead to a sustained weight reduction in moderately-obese children, even in ethnically diverse populations.
According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 17% of children and adolescents (aged 2 - 19) are obese. The prevalence of obesity in America has risen dramatically over the past two decades and continues to increase.
Overweight in Adults
According to the latest figures available, 35.7% of American adults (aged 20 and older) are obese (BMI 30 and above) -- up from about 23% in the early 1990s.
Medication
A recent study of topiramate in combination with phentermine showed not only sustained weight loss but also metabolic improvements, reducing the risk of diabetes in obese patients.
The weight loss drug sibutramine (Meridia) has been removed from the market because of a high risk for heart attack and strokes.
Surgery
The International Diabetes Federation released a position statement in March 2011, recommending bariatric surgery be considered for patients with Type 2 diabetes and BMI of 30 or greater, if their diabetes does not respond to conventional treatment. Most standard criteria have not recommended weight-loss surgery for diabetics whose BMI is less than 35.
Introduction
A stable weight depends on a balance between the energy you get from food and the energy you use. You use energy during the day in three ways:
Energy expended during rest (basal metabolism)
Energy used to break down food (thermogenesis)
Energy used during physical activity
Basal metabolism accounts for about two-thirds of spent energy. Your body generally uses this energy to keep your temperature steady and the muscles of your heart and intestine working. Thermogenesis accounts for about 10% of spent energy.
When a person consumes more calories than the energy they use, the body stores the extra calories in fat cells (lipocytes). Fat cells function as energy reservoirs. They grow or shrink depending on how people use energy. If people do not balance energy input and output by eating right and exercising, fat can build up. This leads to weight gain.
Lipocytes (fat cells)
When energy input is equal to energy output, there is no expansion of fat cells (lipocytes) to accommodate excess. When you take in more calories than you use, the extra fat is stored in your lipocytes and you begin to accumulate fat.
Measurement of Obesity in Adults
Obesity is determined by measuring body fat, not just body weight. People might be over the weight limit for normal standards, but if they are very muscular with low body fat, they are not obese. Others might be at normal weight or even underweight but still have excessive body fat. The following measurements and factors are used to determine whether or not a person is overweight to a degree that threatens their health:
Body mass index (BMI) -- a measure of body fat
Waist circumference (size around the waist)
Waist-hip ratio
Skin fold measurement (anthropometry)
A person's disease risk factors and their BMI are important components in determining health risks with weight.
The Body Mass Index (BMI). The current standard measurement for obesity is the body mass index (BMI). In general, a BMI of 25 - 29.9 means you are overweight. Obesity is a BMI of 30 and above. A BMI of 40 or more usually means men are at least 100 pounds over their ideal weight and women are at least 80 pounds over their ideal weight.
Obesity is then classified into three categories:
Class 1: BMI of 30 - 34.9 (low-risk obesity)
Class II: BMI 35 - 39.9 (moderate-risk obesity)
Class III: BMI of 40 and greater (high-risk obesity)
These criteria may be used to estimate the risk for complications of obesity, such as diabetes, heart disease, or certain cancers. They are also used to help decide when surgery may be most appropriate.
Calculating Body Mass Index. A person's body mass index is calculated as follows:
Multiply one's weight (in pounds) by 703.
Divide that answer by height in inches.
Divide that answer again by height in inches.
For example, a woman who weighs 150 pounds and is 5 feet 8 inches (or 68 inches) tall has a BMI of 22.8.
You can check your BMI at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI calculator.
Waist Circumference Waist measurement is another way to estimate how much body fat a person has. Extra weight around the mid-section or stomach area increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Some studies suggest that:
Women whose waistlines are over 31.5 inches and men whose waists measure over 37 inches should watch their weight.
A waist size greater than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men is associated with a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and impaired health.
Excess body fat around the abdomen (the "apple-shape") is a more consistent predictor of heart problems and health risks than BMI.
Waist-Hip Ratio. The distribution of fat can be evaluated by dividing waist size by hip size. For example, a woman with a 30-inch waist and 40-inch hip circumference would have a ratio of 0.75; one with a 41-inch waist and 39-inch hips would have a ratio of 1.05. The lower the ratio the better. The risk of heart disease rises sharply for women with ratios above 0.8 and for men with ratios above 1.0.
Click the icon to see an image of waist-to-hip ratio.
Anthropometry. Anthropometry is the measurement of skin fold thickness in different areas, particularly around the triceps, shoulder blades, and hips. This measurement is useful in determining how much weight is due to muscle or fat.
Measurement of Obesity in Children
Measuring body fat and diagnosing obesity is different in children and adults.
In children:
The amount of body fat changes with age. Because of this, a BMI is harder to interpret during puberty and periods of rapid growth.
Girls and boys normally have different amounts of body fat.
A BMI level that says a child is obese at one age may be normal for a child at a different age. To determine if a child is overweight or obese, experts compare BMI levels of children at the same age to each other. They use a special chart to decide whether a child's weight is healthy or not.
If a child's BMI is higher than 85% of other children their age and sex, they are considered at risk for being overweight.
If a child's BMI is higher than 95% of other children their age and sex, they are considered overweight or obese.
Causes
Many people with obesity who lose large amounts of weight and gain it back often think it is their fault. They may blame themselves for not having the will power to keep the weight off, and many regain more than they lost.
Today, we know that biology is the reason some people cannot keep this weight off. Even among people who live in the same environment and eat the same foods, some become obese and others do not. Our bodies have a complex system to help keep weight at a healthy level. In some people, this system may not be working correctly.
Think about the gas gauge in your car. If the gas tank is full but the car's gas gauge is broken, it may read empty. You would want to put in more gas, even when the tank is already full.
Some people may struggle to maintain a healthy weight because one or more of the signals that tells the brain when they have eaten enough does not work correctly. In other words, the gas tank (stomach) may be full, but the brain (gas gauge) does not realize that.
The Biological Pathway to Appetite
Appetite is determined by processes that occur both in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Eating patterns are controlled by areas in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands (in the brain).
The body produces a number of molecules that increases or decreases appetite, including leptin. Leptin is a hormone that fat cells release. Leptin blood levels rise as the cells store more fat. This increase in leptin levels decreases appetite. Falling levels of leptin make you feel hungry. Still, leptin's role in obesity is unclear.
Specific Genetic Factors
Our bodies are set to maintain weight within a certain range. That weight range is at least partly determined by our genetic makeup. Genetic makeup refers to certain traits that we inherit from our parents. If a person has the genetic makeup for obesity and they eat a lot of high-calorie foods and do not exercise, it is almost certain they will become obese. It will likely be harder for such a person to stay at a healthy weight than someone who does not have the genes for obesity.
Obesity is not caused by just one gene. There are hundreds of genes that influence body weight. Some people have more genetic risk factors for obesity than others. However, scientists have not yet discovered the exact genes that contribute to obesity.
Genetics also determines the number of fat cells a person has. Some people are simply born with more.
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