Download Summary of Chapter 7 – Weight Management

Summary of Chapter 7 – Weight Management: Overweight and Underweight
Genetics, fat cell development, set point, and overeating all offer possible, but still incomplete, explanations of obesity. Most likely,
obesity has not one cause, but different causes and combinations of causes in different people. Some causes may be within a person’s
control, and some may be beyond it. Like all the other “causes” of obesity, inactivity alone fails to explain it fully.
Weight-loss advice does not apply equally to all overweight people. Some people may risk more through misguided efforts to lose
weight than by remaining overweight, whereas others may benefit from just a modest weight loss.
When pursued via unwise weight-loss techniques, such as over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements, weight-loss efforts can be
physically and psychologically damaging.
Obese people with high risks of medical problems may need aggressive treatment, including drugs or surgery.
A person who adopts a lifelong “eating plan for good health” rather than a “diet for weight loss” will be more likely to keep the lost
weight off. Several tips for successful weight management include:
In General

Focus on healthy eating and activity habits, not on weight losses or gains.

Adopt reasonable expectations about health and fitness goals and about how long it will take to achieve them.

Make nutritional adequacy a high priority.

Learn, practice, and follow a healthful eating plan for the rest of your life.

Participate in some form of physical activity regularly.

Adopt permanent lifestyle changes to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
For Weight Loss

Energy out should exceed energy in by about 500 kcalories/day. Increase your physical activity enough to spend more energy
than you consume from foods.

Emphasize foods with a low energy density and a high nutrient density.

Eat small portions. Share a restaurant meal with a friend or take home half for lunch tomorrow.

Eat slowly.

Limit high-fat foods. Make legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits central to your diet plan.

Limit low-fat treats to the serving size on the label.

Limit concentrated sweets and alcoholic beverages.

Drink a glass of water before you begin to eat and another while you eat. Drink plenty of water throughout the day (8 glasses or
more a day).

Keep a record of diet and exercise habits; it reveals problem areas, the first step toward improving behaviors.

Learn alternative ways to deal with emotions and stresses.

Attend support groups regularly or develop supportive relationships with others.
Physical activity should be an integral part of a weight-management program. Physical activity can increase energy expenditure, improve
body composition, help control appetite, reduce stress and stress eating, and enhance physical and psychological well-being. Behavior
modification provides ways to overcome barriers to successful weight management.
Both the incidence of underweight and the health problems associated with it are less prevalent than overweight and its associated
problems.
To gain weight, a person must train physically and increase energy intake by selecting energy-dense foods, eating regular meals, taking
larger portions, and consuming extra snacks and beverages. Tips for weight gain include:

Energy in should exceed energy out by at least 500 kcalories/day. Increase your food intake enough to store more energy than
you spend in exercise. Exercise and eat to build muscles.

Expect weight gain to take time (1 pound per month would be reasonable).

Emphasize energy-dense foods.

Eat at least three meals a day.

Eat large portions of foods and expect to feel full.

Eat snacks between meals.

Drink plenty of juice and milk.