Lesson 7.3 Managing Your Weight

Last updated 4 months ago

12 questions

Required

What Is a Healthy Weight?
Do you ever wish you weighed _______  than you actually do? Do you ever compare your weight to the weight of someone else? Sometimes comparisons with other people influence people’s beliefs about how much they should weigh. Perhaps you want to weigh what a friend weighs or what your favorite celebrity or athlete weighs. Comparing your weight to the weight of another person, however, is a bad idea. Your _______  is the weight at which your body is healthy.
Several factors impact the ideal weight for your body (Figure 7.23). Because of these factors, people use several approaches to identify healthy weight ranges. Some of these approaches include the following:
body _______ 
_______  (BMI)
_______  distribution

Body Composition
_______  is the ratio of the various components—_______ , _______ , and _______ —that make up your body. The size and shape of two people who weigh the same, but differ in body composition, can be very different. _______ , _______ , and level of physical activity influence a person's body composition (Figure 7.24).

To better understand the concept of _______ , try to envision a brick of metal in comparison to a brick of Styrofoam® of the same size. The metal weighs much more than the Styrofoam. In the same way that metal weighs more than Styrofoam, muscle and bone weigh more than fat. As such, a person with a higher ratio of muscle to fat will weigh more than a person of the same size with a lower ratio of muscle to fat.

Body composition is an _______  in weight. For example, a person may weigh more than others due to being more muscular, not due to being affected by _______ . Athletes often train for long hours, which _______  and increases _______ . As a result, athletes often have much _______  averages than _______ , even though they may weigh as much or more (Figure 7.25).

A person's _______  also affects body composition. _______  bodies tend to have more _______  than those of _______ . Female bodies tend to have a greater proportion of fat. On average, adult males have a body-fat percentage of 15 percent and adult females have a body-fat percentage of 25 percent. Females have a higher percentage of body fat than males to support their role in reproduction.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
_______  (BMI) is a tool for assessing an individual’s weight status. This index is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in pounds by height in inches squared. This number is then multiplied by a factor of 703 (Figure 7.26).

_______  is calculated in the same way for _______ , _______ , and _______ . The resulting number, however, receives different interpretation for different age groups. Because children and teens are still growing, their BMI values are plotted on growth charts based on _______ . The BMI percentile for children and teens indicates the relative position of the person’s BMI compared with others of the same sex and age. (See the Appendix in the back of this book to view the BMI charts for boys and girls.)

For children and teens, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (_______ ) defines _______  as having, for a particular height, excess body weight from _______ , _______ , _______ , _______ , or a combination of these factors. The CDC defines obesity as having excess body fat or excessive overweight. According to the CDC, children and teens who are affected by _______  have a body weight that is too low compared with others of the same sex and age. For adults, these weight categories are based on specific BMI values.

BMI calculation is an easy method for assessing weight status, but it is not perfect. For some individuals, BMI is not accurate due to differences in body composition. Because muscle and bone weigh more than fat, people who are highly fit or muscular may have a high BMI, which incorrectly places them in the overweight category. Likewise, an individual may have a body weight in the acceptable range, but a high percentage of body fat to muscle. BMI would inaccurately place this person in the healthy range.

Body-Fat Distribution
Another factor that influences ideal body weight is _______ , or the location of fat deposits on your body (Figure 7.27). Body-fat distribution can be as important, if not more important, to your health as how much fat you have. One method for assessing body-fat distribution is to _______  your _______ . This measurement is simple to obtain and can be an indicator of excess _______ . You can also use this measurement to monitor your progress toward meeting weight-management goals.

For those affected by _______ , distribution of fat on the body is often a _______ of physical consequences than actual weight, BMI, or total body fat. People who have _______  have extra fat around the waist and _______ , _______ , and _______ . This can lead to a greater risk of developing _______ , _______ , and _______ . Males are more likely than females to store fat in the abdomen, which also increases risk for heart disease.

How Does Weight Affect Your Health?
Your weight has an _______  on your _______  now and in the future. _______ , _______ , and _______  can cause a variety of _______  health consequences.

When people do not take in enough _______  and experience underweight, they can develop _______ , _______ , or _______  conditions. They may also feel tired often and are more likely to get sick. This is because their bodies are less able to fight off _______ .

_______  or _______  leads to increased risk of _______ . It also increases risk for developing high blood pressure, _______ , and _______ . In this disorder, the body is unable to utilize blood glucose properly. About 5,000 children under age 20 develop type 2 diabetes each year (Figure 7.28). People who are affected by overweight or obesity are more likely to experience respiratory, sleep, and joint conditions and may have trouble getting pregnant.

To avoid the health risks associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity, you need to know how to make good food choices and _______  in healthy ways.

Strategies for Healthy Weight Management
Making long-term changes to weight requires a permanent, _______  in eating and physical activity habits. To maintain your current weight, you must balance calories you consume with calories used during _______  (Figure 7.29). To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn, and to gain weight, you must consume more calories. All of these activities require a healthy eating and physical activity plan that fits with your daily life. You can use several _______  to lose, gain, or maintain your weight.

Set and Reward Realistic Goals
One strategy for healthy weight management is to _______ , short-term goals regarding eating and physical activity. For example, you might decide to
snack on _______  foods between meals
_______  instead of chips as a mid-morning pick-me-up
_______  with a friend instead of watching television after school
Be sure to examine your progress toward your goals. Setting and meeting _______  allows you to feel good about having some success. It inspires you to feel more confident that you can achieve your _______  for overall health. Also, be sure to reward yourself for making progress on or meeting your short-term goals. For example, after successfully running three miles or substituting water for soda for one month, reward yourself with something you want to do. Avoid using food as a reward.

It is also important to set long-term goals. A healthy lifestyle helps maintain a healthy weight. Your short-term goals should help you build toward a _______  that you can continue for the rest of your life.

Limit Screen Time
People who spend many hours _______  or playing video games are more likely to be overweight or affected by obesity than those who _______  in front of screens. In one study, the children and teens who said they have a television in their bedroom watched more TV each day than their peers. They were also more than twice as likely to show higher levels of _______  and larger waist sizes.

Develop a habit that calls on you to _______  and be active for a set period of time every day. Find a way to fit the activity into your schedule so you can be sure to do it. Avoid trying to do too much at the beginning. If your goal is to run a mile or two, you might need to build up to it. Try doing a combination of _______  at first. This will help you develop the staying power to be active longer. Choosing _______  you enjoy will help you be more likely to stay active. (Figure 7.30).

Think Positively
Another way to reach your goal is to _______  about your healthy eating and physical activity habits. First, remember that making _______  takes time. Do not attempt to make too many changes all at once. _______  gradually is more likely to ensure the habits become permanent. Second, remember that everyone who is trying to create new eating and activity habits will have some _______  or lapses. The important thing is to keep these lapses brief. Return to the new habits you are trying to adopt as quickly as possible.

Avoid Unhealthy Strategies
As many as _______  adults in the United States diet each year. People spend a tremendous amount of money—an estimated $33 billion each year—on _______  and products. Although these programs and products are _______  for the people who sell them, they often promise more than they can deliver.

The amount of weight people lose using any of these programs tends to be _______ . As a result, most people who participate in weight-loss programs regain about one-third of any weight lost within one year and return to their initial weight within three to five years.

Some examples of unhealthy weight management are _______  and the use of appetite suppressants. Fad diets often restrict certain types of food groups (such as carbohydrates) and may require the purchase of special, and often expensive, _______ . The goal of these fad diets is to lose a large amount of weight in a short time. Unfortunately, these types of _______  can result in muscle loss and nutritional deficits, which is dangerous to your health (Figure 7.31). In addition, people often quickly regain any _______  because the habits that led to the initial weight gain did not change.

Eat Mindfully
The term _______  describes being fully focused on the present moment. You can eat mindfully by paying attention to the foods you eat. Mindful eating helps people make _______  choices, since people focus on the foods they put into their bodies. Figure 7.32 shows some strategies you can use to practice eating mindfully.

Monitor Eating
Monitoring when and what you eat is another _______  for managing weight. It is easy to forget about some of the calories you take in each day, especially outside a regular meal. For example, you might eat _______  while you study or have a candy bar as a quick after-school snack. One way to monitor when and what you eat is to keep a food diary, or daily record of what you eat.

Enlist Support
Changing _______  activity behaviors is difficult. Having support from others, however, can help (Figure 7.33). Simply having a friend who will go to the gym or go for walks with you can help (Figure 7.34). Tell friends and family members about your goal and ask them to _______  or join in your efforts. The best results occur when family members change their own eating habits and provide healthier foods in the home. You can talk to _______  about changing the eating habits and types of foods offered at home.

Some people participate in formal groups to manage their weight. Group approaches are especially effective because they provide social support and healthy competition. It is a good idea to consult with a _______  if you are struggling with weight management. These professionals can help you determine the _______  strategy best for your health.