Maintaining a Healthy Weight

MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT

Weight management: diet and exercise plan that helps maintain a desirable weight

What determines a healthy weight? 1. body composition: percentage of fat tissue and lean tissue in the body 2. body frame: approximate weight and density of the bone structure; size and thickness of bones vary from person to person  mesomorph: muscular, athletic build  endomorph: round, larger type  ectopmorph: thin, lean 3. BMR: basal metabolic rate, the number of calories the body uses at rest

Making a weight management plan  caloric intake (how many calories you eat) and caloric expenditure (how many calories you burn) is the basis  a pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories  track your activity level and what you eat to find the balance you need-to gain weight you need to eat more than you burn, to lose weight must burn more than you eat

Suggestions for weight gain and loss  no more than 2 pounds per week  maintain a balanced diet, extremes rarely result in long term success  use exercise as part of your plan, both cardiovascular and strength training

Weight loss strategies  liquid diets-a beverage is substituted for some or all meals  fad diets-a quick weight loss strategy for the short term  prescription medications-under the direct supervision of a medical doctor  starvation diet-severe restriction of calories, body relies on stored body fat because there is no glucose for energy  Over the counter (OTC) diet pills-some suppress the appetite (use stimulant drugs), some fill stomach  laxatives and diuretics-drugs that help a person have bowel movements (laxative) or products that increase amount of urine (diuretic); temporary

Eating Disorders A condition is which a person has a compelling need to starve, binge, or to binge and purge.

1. Teens at risk: emphasis on body image, uncomfortable with secondary sex characteristics, perfectionism, need to control, inability to express emotions

Anorexia Nervosa  an ED in which a person starves self and weighs 15% or more below desirable weight  obsession with being thin  perfectionist Treatment  team of professionals-doctors, dieticians, nurses, and mental health professionals  out-patient, in-patient, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities How it harms the body  dehydration and constipation  abdominal pain and nausea  hormonal changes  damage to internal organs  decrease in heart rate and blood pressure  impaired immune system function  absence of menstruation in females  hair loss  malnutrition  negative self confidence  lack of self-respect  depression  urge to withdraw

Bulimia An ED in which a person binges and purges, eat large quantities of food at one time and then rid the body by vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics  more common than anorexia  obsession with body shape and size  negative body image  usually are aware of problem but are unable to change, feel shame and guilt Harms health  dissolved tooth enamel, tooth decay, sore gums  enlarged salivary glands and swollen cheeks  severe water loss causing depletion of potassium and increase in blood pressure  damage to colon, heart, and kidneys  impaired bowel function

Treatment  team of professionals  taught new ways of coping

Signs of Bulimia  binge in private, but eat regular amounts when with others  have one secret place in which to binge  steal food or hide it in a secret place  think about food constantly and plane each binge carefully  buy or steal special treats or elaborate dishes for a binge  gulp food quickly while bingeing so as not to be discovered  exercise and diet excessively between binges Binge Eating An ED is which a person cannot control eating and eats excessive amounts  most common in females  use food as a substitute for coping  over time become addicted to food  become overweight, obese but others may not realize that it is because of the ED

How it harms the health  skeletal difficulties because the bones need to support extra weight  increase in person’s heart rate and blood pressure  increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and certain types of cancer

Treatment  team of health-care professionals  weight management plan  after weight loss must learn new eating habits and examine reasons why they felt the need to overeat