Activity 7_ Weight Control

							Activity 7: Weight Control
Goal: Today’s lab will help you understand how the body uses food to maintain, gain, or lose weight. You will: 1. define and calculate Body Mass Index. 2. calculate energy requirements. 3. use your knowledge to advise someone else. 4. investigate alternative ways to lose weight. Part A: Introduction. We have already seen the effects of disrupting the digestive process by eating too little or leaving out one whole food group. Just as eating too little can cause problems, eating too much can also cause problems. In the United States, obesity is the second leading preventable killer disease, after lung cancer. Consequently weight control is an important issue confronting many Americans. Understanding weight is really rather simple. It boils down to “calories in” versus “calories out”. When a person consumes more calories than they need for the total of their bodily activities (basic metabolism and exercise), the body stores the energy as extra fat deposits around the body. When a person consumes fewer calories than they need for the total of their bodily activities, the body must use the energy stored in the fat deposits around the body. 1. Why do you need fat? If you are not sure, go to this site to find out about what fat is and why you need it. (http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/adipose/adipose.html)

2. What is BMI? (This site can help http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm)

3. How many calories are stored in one pound of fat?

4. What is a normal BMI?

Part B: What advice will you give LiTischa? LiTischa is a moderately active 20 year-old. Her parents developed type II diabetes in their 40s and she does not want to do the same. Currently, she is carrying 180 lbs on her 5'3" frame. She needs to know if she should lose weight, gain weight, or remain stable. 1. What is her current BMI? What is her current weight status and why?

2. What should she weigh to have a BMI of 22?
Contemporary Issues in Biology: A Module for Teacher Training Funded by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas Education Agency Developed at Texas Christian University

3. Most authorities recommend a daily calorie shift of 500 calories per day to change weight at a safe rate of one pound per week. Why would a shift of 500 calories per day result in a weight change of one pound in a week?

4. According to the article, a person who is moderately active needs about 15 calories per day to sustain each pound of body weight. So how many calories will LiTischa need each day to sustain a weight of 180 lbs?

5. What would be her daily calorie intake to lose one pound per week? Below is a typical day’s diet for her. Breakfast 2 donuts Coffee with cream/sugar Lunch Whopper with cheese Large order of fries Milk shake Dinner Deep pan pizza Fruit salad Cola

Snack Candy bar Cola

Bedtime Snack Bowl of ice cream

6. If she continues to eat this type of diet, what would she weigh in a month?

7. What could she substitute to help bring her “calories in” in line with her “calories out”? In other words, how could she make her daily diet more “balanced”?

Contemporary Issues in Biology: A Module for Teacher Training Funded by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas Education Agency Developed at Texas Christian University

8. She wants to increase her activity level to increase her weight loss. She proposes to walk daily about 1 hour. Based on what you find in a calorie book or at http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/lessons/calories/calorieburn.html, how many calories will she lose per day due to the walking? How many pounds will she lose each week because of daily walking?

9. Why is a “balanced diet” more than just counting calories?

Part C: Extreme ways to weight loss. Some people who are very overweight try extreme measures to loose weight. Use the research skills you learned about in Activity 1 to learn more about some of these measures. Some examples that you will want to investigate are gastrointestinal surgery, lap-band surgery, and liposuction. Be sure that you get enough information so that you can judge the claims made by some of the promoters of the procedures.

Contemporary Issues in Biology: A Module for Teacher Training Funded by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Texas Education Agency Developed at Texas Christian University