Maintaining a Healthy Weight

A. What Is a Healthy Weight?

1. Body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight and height, is a good way to

measure ideal or overweight conditions.

a. Scores between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight; a score of 30

or more indicates obesity.

B. Why Is Obesity Unhealthy?

1. Obesity is an overabundance of fat in adipose tissue that may lead to

health problems.

a. Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. are only some of the

potential health issues associated with obesity.

2. Obese individuals have additional triglycerides in their fat cells, which

interferes with their functioning.

a. These damaged cells encourage inflammation in the body that can

increase cancer risks or interfere with the functioning of insulin.

C. Genetics of Obesity

1. Genes may have an influence on whether or not we gain weight.

2. A study of twins found that genetic differences affected the response

each set had to overfeeding or to losing weight.

3. Scientists have discovered the ob gene, which produces leptin, an

appetite suppressor.

a. Experiments performed on mice show that those without the ob gene

become obese.

b. Few individuals have a leptin deficiency.

 4. Another more common gene called flo has been isolated in humans

and also leads to obesity.

5. In most individuals, the secret to dieting is not genetic—just move

more and eat less.

D. Eating Too Little

1. Anorexia nervosa is a condition where an individual is not within 15

percent of their normal weight.

a. Anorexia may have a genetic basis, but is also largely due to social

pressures.

b. Anorexia can have disastrous effects on bone and heart health.

2. Bulimia nervosa is a condition where an individual binges and then

purges by vomiting.

a. This condition may damage both esophageal cells and teeth.

b. It can also lead to an improper pH, which upsets the body’s

homeostasis.