What is energy in foods?

Energy :

Our body needs a balance in energy. Energy balance in an individual depends on his or her dietary energy intake and energy expenditure. Imbalance in energy intake and expenditure results in gain or loss of body components resulting in changes in body weight. Excess energy cannot be eliminated, and is eventually deposited in the form of body fat which results in obesity.

Energy is calculated in Calories and calories are obtained from food. We calculate the energy (calories ) given by one food using the contents of the food.

The Estimated Energy Requirement (EER) is the average dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy, adult of a defined age, gender, weight, height, and level of physical activity consistent with good health.

So energy requirements vary by each individual and so average energy estimation helps to set a normal standard for people. Energy requirements also depends on each persons' Basal metabolic rate (BMR).

To calculate ones energy requirements we need to know Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE) ,Diet induced Energy Expenditure (DEE) and Activity-induced Energy Expenditure (AEE)
BEE refers to the metabolic activity necessary to sustain life (i.e., respiration, pulse, body temperature) or the energy needed in resting condition and can be estimated using the following equation:
Harris-Benedict equation:
BEE(kcal/day):Males = 66.5 + (13.7 X W) + (5.0 X H) - (6.8 X A)
Females = 655 + (9.6 X W ) + (1.7 X H) - (4.7 X A)
where:
W = usual or adjusted weight in kilograms
H = height in centimeters
A = age in years

Diet -induced Energy Expenditure includes energy costs of food absorption, metabolism and storage. DEE in individuals is relatively small and doesnot make important contirbution in energy balance.
Total energy Expenditure (TEE) = BEE + Activity-induced Energy Expenditure (Physical activity,PA )

Or the total energy expenditure is calculated by multiplying BEE with PA factor.

The physical activity factor varies between individuals depending on the duration and intensity of activities they perform. The PA factor vaires from 1.2 - 2.2 between individuals 18 and 64 year old healthy adults. On an average it is estimated the people having western life style ,regular ,relatively sedentary lifestyle have PA between 1.2-1.6 and that of elite athelets can be greater than 2.5

On an average the energy needed by individual is given below.
Men ~2300-2600 kcal
Women ~1900-2200 kcal
Pregnant +500 kcal

Lactating +600 kcal

How is obesity treated?

How is Obesity treated?

Losing weight is simple, not to say that it is necessarily easy. Proper nutrition can cure all diseases and can prevent diseases too.But all Nutrition is food and not all food is nutritious. This simple concept is very much important while loosing weight.The food can be compared to a fuel for functioning of car. Any excess fuel poured in the fuel tank of the car gets wasted in the car. ( a 5 lr fuel tank never can hold 1000 lr fuel) . But in our body the excess food (fuel) gets stored as fat for future use. It is definately not needed to store it if we continue to give the food regularly needed by the body.The storage capacity is just the nature of our body, to prevent us from drought or starvation conditions which existed in the old days. But now a days food is abundant and it is the cause for obesity in delveloping countries. It is definately much harder to carry this stored fat and our body needs more fuel just to perform this storage function by the body. so we put more strain to the body by eating excess.
So Proper planned nutrition and diet plays major role in effective weight loss.

· Life style change
The first step in weight loss is to achieve a reasonable goal, which is to begin making lifestyle changes by increasing physical activity and limiting calories. A reduction of 6-10 lbs can significantly decrease the cardiovascular health risks of overweight or obese people.
Loosing 10% of the weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs per week improves health and sets a good starting in the journey of weight loss.

· Food

Proper diet and nutrition is a very important part of staying healthy—for everyone—and especially for a obese/overweight person. By decreasing daily calorie intake by 500 calories calories you will lose about 1 pound per week. Approximately if the target weight (Normal weight range of BMI) is say 110 lbs then the calorie intake per day should be aimed to 1100 per day with nutritious foods and healthy foods.
The healthy foods include good carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates), proteins, vegetables, fruits, minerals, fiber and good fats. Each body needs 1-2 grams of protein per kg body weight. By reaching the daily allowance of protein each each day, the metabolism can be increased and that can help to burn the stored fat. Consumption of excess carbohydrates and fats can result in storage of fats and
not burning of fats. So care should be taken in consuming carbohydrates and fats.
The easiest and best way is to start herba life products. Herbalife shakes has no cholesterol, low carbohydrate, no transfat and low salt. It is rich in protein and full of essential nutrients and fiber. Also Herbalife is the only food, which provides enzymes, and ginger and other nutrients that facilitate assimilation of the nutrients in to our body effectively .That makes herbalife the ideal food for every nutritional need and for effective weight loss.

Exercise:

Another factor helping weight loss includes exercise. It helps to increase metabolism and is one less opportunity to eat during the day. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Regular exercise helps to burn calories. But even if lot of calories are burned by exercise, if the calorie intake by consuming foods are more, then weight loss will not be effective.

All About Obesity

What is Overweight and Obesity and why is it a Problem?

Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) greater than 25 and obese as a BMI of 30 or greater. Most individuals with a BMI over 25 are entering into the zone of increased health risk.
Obesity leads to chronic diseases. A poor nutritional choice raise our risks for obesity and with it comes obesity related metabolic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers. It’s not just adults who are overweight; many of our kids are overweight too.

Why are we getting obesity?

The causes of obesity in today’s lives are Genetic basis, over abundance of food, and our technological society with its emphasis on labor saving devices, efficiency and time saving. We are less active in our everyday lives; it is not just that we are not exercising, but that the incidental activity of everyday life has been reduced or eliminated by technological advances. We don't walk as much, or as far, and we don't expend as much energy operating machinery or manual. Consequently, it has proved very difficult for many people to control their weight in the second half of the 20th century.

Other Causes of Obesity
Some illnesses may lead to or are associated with weight gain or obesity. These include:
Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone. It often results in lowered metabolic rate and loss of vigor.
Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. Symptoms vary, but most people have upper body obesity, rounded face, increased fat around the neck, and thinning arms and legs.
Polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition characterized by high levels of androgens (male hormone), irregular or missed menstrual cycles, and in some cases, multiple small cysts in the ovaries. Cysts are fluid-filled sacs

Why have we not been effective in treatment of obesity?

There are a number of reasons for this. Obesity, its etiology and effects, the biology of adipose tissue (which is fat storage organ) and goals of treatment have been poorly understood. Nutrition has not been considered an important part of the medical curriculum. No long-term effective medical treatments have been available.

Despite the lack of real assistance from the medical profession, the obese have been stigmatized. Obese patients have become disheartened after their attempts at weight loss. They have turned to other treatments and therapists, mostly without success. The vast majority of these treatments, some costly, are ineffective. Patients are still looking for the magic, which will enable them to lose weight without effort and then to keep it off.

What should we do about obesity?

Two major options for obesity are being discussed now everywhere. One says that weight loss and control must remain an individual responsibility, whereas the other one argues that in some individuals morbid obesity is inevitable because of their genes, inherent appetite drives and metabolic set points, and that they will inevitably need help to control weight. The life style can affect the Blood pressure, blood Cholesterol ,blood glucose level and fat content. So a change in lifestyle is pretty much needed.

When lifestyle changes are not enough, an appropriate treatment is needed. The goals of such treatment should not necessarily be to normalize body weight, but to optimize health. A reduction of 6-10 kg can significantly decrease the cardiovascular health risks of overweight or obese people.