Weight
Management
Chapter Nine
© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Current Trends
• The National Institutes of Health reports the following:
– About 67% of American adults are overweight
– More than 33% of American adults are obese
– The number of obese adults more than doubled between 1971
and 2006
– By 2015, 75% of adults will be overweight and 41% will be obese
• Controlling body weight is really a matter of controlling
body fat
• Managing body weight is not a mysterious process, even
though it is not fully understood by many people
– The “secret” is balancing calories consumed with calories
expended in daily activities
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© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Weight of Americans Age 20 and
Older (Table 9.1)
Group
Both sexes
All races, male
All races, female
White, male
White, female
African American, male
African American, female
Latino, male
Latino, female
Percent of poverty level
Below 100%:
100%–less than 200%:
200% or greater:
Percent
Overweight
66.7
72.1
61.3
71.8
57.9
71.6
79.8
75.8
73.9
Percent
Obese
33.4
32.4
34.3
32.9
31.6
35.9
53.4
29.5
41.8
65.7
66.5
66.8
35.0
35.9
32.3
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics. 2008. Health, United
States, 2008, with Special Feature on the Health of Young Adults.
Hyattsville, Md.: National Center for Health Statistics.
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Health Implications of
Overweight and Obesity
• As rates increased in the United States, so has the
prevalence of health conditions, including:
•
•
•
•
•
CVD
Hypertension
Certain forms of cancer
Type II diabetes
Premature deaths
• Moderate weight loss can have a significant positive
impact on health
• A weight loss of just 5-10% can reduce the risk of these
conditions in obese individuals
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Factors Contributing to Excess
Body Fat
• Genetic Factors
• Physiological Factors
– Metabolism and energy balance
• RMR
– Hormones
• Lifestyle Factors
– Eating
– Physical activity
– Psychosocial factors
• Binge eating
5
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Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle for
Successful Weight Management
Permanent weight loss is not something you start and stop.
You need to adopt healthy behaviors.
• Diet and Eating habits
• Total calories
• Portion sizes
• Energy (calorie)
density
• Fat, protein, and
carbohydrate
amounts
• Eating habits
• Physical activity and
exercise
• Thoughts and emotions
– Self-talk
• Coping strategies
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Approaches to Overcoming a
Weight Problem
• Doing it yourself
• Diet books
• Dietary supplements and diet
aids
– Dietary supplements (can be
dangerous and/or ineffective)
– Formula drinks and food bars
(long-term weight loss
unlikely)
– Herbal supplements (can be
dangerous and/or ineffective)
– Other supplements (can be
dangerous and/or ineffective)
• Weight-loss programs
– Non-commercial programs
– Commercial Weight-loss
programs
– Online Weight-loss
Programs
– Clinical Weight-loss
Programs
• Prescription drugs
• Surgery
• Psychological help
7
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Body Image
• Body image is the mental representation a
person holds about her or his body
• It consists of perceptions, images, thoughts,
attitudes, and emotions
• A negative body image is characterized by
dissatisfaction with body in general or some part
of the body in particular
• Different cultures have different ideas of the
“ideal” body type
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Severe Body Image Problems
• Poor body image can cause significant psychological
distress
• Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is:
– Related to obsessive-compulsive disorder
– Can lead to depression, social phobia, and suicide
– Treated with medication and psychotherapy
• Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder experienced by people
who perceive themselves as having small,
underdeveloped muscles despite being very muscular
• Acceptance and change: Know the limits of healthy
change and don’t measure self-worth on appearance
9
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Eating Disorders
• An eating disorder is a serious disturbance in eating
pattern or behavior, characterized by a negative body
image and concerns about body weight or body fat
• Major types of eating disorders:
– Anorexia nervosa
– Bulimia nervosa
– Binge-eating disorder
• Eating disorders affect about 10 million American
females and 1 million males
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Anorexia Nervosa
• Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by
a refusal to maintain body weight at a minimally healthy
level and an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming
fat
– Affects 1% of Americans, or about 3 million
Americans, 95% being female
– Typically develops between ages 12 and 18
– Based on a distorted body image
– Consequences result in severe medical
complications, including death
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Bulimia Nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by
recurrent episodes of binge eating and purging: Overeating
and then using compensatory behaviors such as vomiting
and excessive exercise to prevent weight gain
– Begins in adolescence (11-12 years) or older (40-60
years)
– Research suggests that about 5% of college-age women
have bulimia
– During a binge, a person may rapidly consume
thousands of calories.
– Binge-purge cycle places tremendous stress on the body
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Binge-Eating Disorder
• Binge-eating disorder is an eating disorder characterized
by uncontrollable eating without any compensatory
purging behavior
• Affects about 2% of American adults
• Common eating patterns are:
–
–
–
–
Eating very rapidly
Eating until uncomfortably full
Eating when not hungry
Eating alone
• This is usually followed by feelings of guilt, shame, and
depression
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Treating Eating Disorders
• Must address both
problematic eating
behaviors and the misuse
of food to manage stress
and emotions
• Averting a medical crisis
by restoring adequate
body weight
• Dealing with psychological
aspects
• Stabilizing eating habits
• Changing behavior
patterns and thoughts
• Possibly involving
medication and/or
hospitalization
For more suggestions, see the box “If Someone You Know Has
an Eating Disorder”
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Creating an Individual WeightManagement Plan
• Assess your motivation
and commitment
• Set reasonable goals
• Assess your current
energy balance
• Increase your level of
physical activity
• Make changes in your
diet and eating habits
• Put your plan into action
– Write daily
– Get others to help
– Think positively
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© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Chapter Nine
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.