Energy Balance and Weight Control

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to energy balance, weight control, obesity types, eating disorders, and related health issues.

Upper-body obesity

Characterized by a large abdomen or waist, also known as abdominal, visceral, or central obesity; often related to insulin resistance.

Lower-body obesity

Typically a female pattern, characterized by a small abdomen and larger buttocks and thighs.

Very-low-calorie diet (VLCD)

A diet allowing fewer than 800 calories per day, often in liquid form, potentially leading to rapid weight loss and severe health complications.

Behavioral triggers for overeating

Factors such as the why, what, when, how, where, and how much that can lead to overeating.

Gastric bypass

A type of bariatric surgery that allows greater weight loss by bypassing a portion of the small intestine, reducing calorie and nutrient absorption.

Body Mass Index (BMI) formula

A calculation of body weight divided by height squared, used to categorize individuals as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.

Yo-yo dieting

The pattern of losing weight and then regaining it, often due to unsustainable strict diets, leading to feelings of shame and guilt.

Total Energy Expenditure (TEE)

The total amount of energy expended in a day, including resting metabolic rate, physical activity, and the thermic effect of food.

Set-point theory

The theory suggesting that body weight is regulated at a predetermined or preferred level, influenced by genetics and metabolism.

Aerobic exercise

Physical activity that improves cardiorespiratory fitness, characterized by sustained activity that uses oxygen, such as walking, running, and cycling.

Neat (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis)

The energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or sports-like exercise.

Bulimia nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain.

Orthorexia

A proposed disorder involving an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food, often leading to dietary restrictions and anxiety.

PICA

The compulsive consumption of non-nutritive, non-food substances, which can lead to health complications.

RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)

A condition resulting from low energy availability in athletes, which can lead to various health issues including amenorrhea and decreased bone health.

Diabulimia

An eating disorder in which individuals with diabetes omit insulin doses to lose weight, leading to severe health consequences.