Body Weight, Energy Balance & Eating Disorders Flashcards

Practice flashcards covering healthy body weight definitions, BMI, body composition, energy expenditure components, and clinical characteristics of eating disorders.

What three physiological markers must a healthy weight support?

A healthy weight is compatible with normal blood pressure, lipid levels, and glucose.

What is the BMI classification for the 'normal weight' range?

$$\text{BMI } 18.5-24.9$$

Why is BMI considered inaccurate for very athletic individuals?

BMI is a mathematical ratio of weight to height and cannot distinguish muscle mass from fat mass, often leading muscular people to be classified as 'overweight.'

What are two common methods mentioned for assessing body composition?

Skinfolds and underwater weighing.

Which fat distribution pattern is linked to altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism?

Upper-body or apple-shaped fat patterning.

Does pear-shaped (lower-body) obesity meaningfully increase heart disease risk?

No, unlike upper-body obesity, lower-body obesity does not meaningfully increase heart disease risk.

What is a simple, practical proxy for measuring upper-body fat distribution and disease risk?

Waist circumference.

What are the three components that make up total daily energy expenditure?

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Physical Activity, and Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).

What percentage of total daily energy output does physical activity represent?

Roughly $15-35\%$ each day.

What is the definition of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?

The energy expended to maintain basic life-sustaining functions such as respiration and circulation while at complete rest.

What is the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)?

The energy expended during the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of food.

How do starvation and fasting influence BMR?

They decrease BMR as the body adapts to conserve energy.

Which hormone is produced by fat cells and reduces food intake by signaling satiety?

Leptin.

What is 'leptin resistance' in the context of obesity?

It is a state where obese individuals are insensitive to leptin's effects, so the signal to reduce food intake does not work effectively despite high leptin levels.

Which hormone is produced by the stomach to stimulate appetite?

Ghrelin.

How does weight loss affect ghrelin levels and weight maintenance?

Ghrelin levels tend to rise after weight loss, increasing hunger signals and making weight maintenance difficult.

Which protein produced by the GI tract decreases appetite and is found in lower levels in obese individuals when fasting?

Peptide YY.

According to the notes, what is considered an effective behavior modification strategy for weight loss?

Stopping eating once you feel full, which reflects mindful eating and awareness of satiety cues.

What personality traits are documented risk factors for developing an eating disorder?

Perfectionist or obsessive-compulsive type personalities.

True or False: Premature birth is a known risk factor for developing an eating disorder.

False.

What are the physical dangers associated with the repeated vomiting in Bulimia Nervosa?

Tooth decay and possible esophageal rupture.

Which eating disorder is identified as the most common and deadliest psychiatric disorder diagnosed in women?

Anorexia Nervosa.

What is amenorrhea and with which eating disorder is it commonly associated?

Amenorrhea is the loss of the menstrual period, commonly associated with Anorexia Nervosa.

How is Binge Eating Disorder (BED) clinically distinguished from Bulimia Nervosa?

Binge Eating Disorder involves binge episodes occurring $2$ or more times per week without the purging behaviors found in Bulimia.