Managing Body Composition

People respond at different rates and magnitudes with respect to feeding and exercise.

Managing Body Composition

Environmental influences are most important because they are the only ones we can control.

You can no longer find many jobs that require a lot of physical activity.

Managing Body Composition

Main factors contributing to the problem: Transportation Advertising Fast food Public Attitudes

Managing Body Composition

As you lose weight, your metabolism gets more efficient and it becomes harder to maintain the rate of weight loss.

Diets The long term effectiveness is not

convincing. Most work for the short term.

Diets

Months of Treatment

Diet Alone

Diet, BehaviorMod, Exercise

Body Wt

Successful Treatment Behavior change is the only important

outcome. Don’t focus on weight, focus on

behavior.

What Works! Extended therapy contacts Multi-component programs that

include ongoing therapy. Home-based exercise combined with

on-going therapy. Social support is key.

Preventing Obesity The level of heritability of obesity or

body fat is only moderate. Most intermediate phenotypes that can

be defined as determinants of body fat content are also characterized by low to moderate levels of heritability.

Preventing Obesity The prevalence of overweight and

obesity has been steadily increasing over the last 50 years – a period of time that is too short to be caused by changes in the frequency genes or susceptibility genes.

Preventing Obesity Eating regular and healthy meals. Avoiding high caloric density snacks. Drinking water instead of energy-

containing beverages. Keeping dietary fat at about 30% of

calories.

Preventing Obesity Cutting down on TV viewing time. Walking more. Participating more in physical activity

and other energy-consuming leisure activities.