The role of diet in preventing underweight, underweight, and obesity

           Diet plays a key role in preventing underweight, overweight, and obesity. The key role that diet plays in managing a healthy body weight is eating foods that will provide the daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients without out exceeding the caloric needs. Discerning if one is overweight, underweight, or obese is typically defined by one’s body mass index (BMI). BMI is a formula that uses one’s height and weight to determine the health risk of a person. Underweight is defined as a BMI of less than 18. A BMI between 25 and 29,9 classifies one as overweight. A BMI of over 30 is obese. BMI is not always a good indicator of health risks because it does not take in to account muscle. For example, athletes may have a high BMI because they weigh more than average people due to their advanced musculature.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

Exercise alone is not enough to maintain or reduce body weight. Increased physical activity and diet must be combined in order to lose weight. Studies show that an increase in energy output due to exercise is immediately followed by an equivalent caloric intake (Caudwell, Hopkins, King, Stubbs, & Blundell, 2009). In my case, guilty as charged. I exercise rigorously five days each week for 45 minutes to an hour. Approximately 20 minutes after I am finished exercising, I am starving. It takes self-control to limit my consumption.

The 2010 dietary guidelines recommend focusing on the total number of calories consumed. This will prevent underweight, overweight, and obesity. Next, monitor your food intake by being aware of how much you eat or drink. Reading the nutrition labels and monitoring your weight are good ways to keep you on the right track. Next, try to order or prepare small portions of food and beverages. Lastly, eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not eating breakfast is associated with excess body fat, while eating breakfast is associated with weight loss and improved nutrient take (United States Department of Agriculture & Department of Health and Human Services, 2010).

 

Caudwell, P., Hopkins, M., King, N. A., Stubbs, R. J., & Blundell, J. E. (2009). Exercise alone is not enough: Weight loss also needs a healthy (mediterranean) diet? Public Health Nutrition, 12(9), 1663-6. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980009990528

United States Department of Agriculture, & Department of Health and Human Services. (2010, 

               December). 2010 Dietary Guidelines. Retrieved August 23, 2013, from 2010 Dietary Guidelines  website: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/PolicyDoc.pdf