Day Six - Underweight, Overweight and Obesity

A healthy, balanced diet that consists of a variety of nutrient-rich foods will help prevent underweight, overweight, and obesity.  The diet must also provide the correct amount of calories for the individual in order to maintain a stable weight.  If a person eats fewer calories than he or she uses, he or she will lose weight as the body breaks down existing fat and muscle stores to survive.  Conversely, eating more calories than are used will result in weight gain as the body stores the extra calories as fat.

      Being outside of a healthy weight range has detrimental effects on the body, as the biochemical pathways are interrupted due to a lack of or overabundance of nutrients.  Being underweight will result in more short-term, acute effects as the body cannibalizes itself in order to scavenge enough calories to keep functioning.  The body also does not have any energy stores to fight against infection or disease, so the mortality rate for underweight people spikes dramatically as more weight is lost.  (Sizer & Whitney, 2011)

      Overweight and obesity tend to be more chronic problems, as the body is more able to store calories as fat for future use and does not have to immediately destroy itself to survive.  However, chronic excess fat storage – overweight or obesity – also disrupts the normal biochemical pathways, resulting in diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.  The extra weight also has a degenerative effect on joints and mobility, increased blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, and the excess circulating blood lipids contribute to cardiovascular disease and death.  (Wardlaw & Smith, 2006)

A nutritionally sound diet that contains the correct amount of calories is vital to preventing conditions and diseases associated with unhealthy weight.  Exercise in conjunction with a  proper diet will also help the body maintain a healthy weight.

References:

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2011).  Nutrition Concepts & Controversies, 12^th Edition.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Wardlaw, G. & Smith, A. (2006).  Contemporary Nutrition, 6^th Edition.  New York, NY: McGraw Hill.