My New Diet Plan

My current diet consists of eating around 6-8 times a day with the caloric goal of 3400 calories per day. The reason why I eat so much is because I am looking to gain weight. I weigh 175 pounds currently and I want to get back to 185 pounds. Being in the military makes it almost impossible for me to stay on track with my meal plans and eating healthy the way I want to when I am not away on a mission/deployment. By using the following helpful tool to get an idea of how many calories I should be eating, I was able to get more of a specific number to shoot towards instead of just eating to eat.

https://www.lifespanfitness.com/fitness/resources/calories-calculator

The main things that affect my caloric intake are:

1.       High basal metabolic rate (I burn over 1850 calories just by doing nothing)

2.       I do PT with the Army Monday through Friday and I also hit the gym on my own 4 times a week. (I am burning more calories than your average active person) This causes my body to need much more calories than normal suggested calories. 

I desire to weigh more because up until I was 24 years old, I never weighed any more than 135 pounds. When I joined the Army, I fell in love with the fitness industry while deployed to Iraq in 2015. I soaked up all the knowledge and techniques I could and because of my hard work and dedication, I came home weighing 165 pounds and was stronger and healthier than I had ever been. Since then, I have continued my journey and it has been a long, slow road, but I want to keep growing in this journey. I am currently 175 pounds and in the next three months want to be a solid 185-190 pounds. 

My diet consists of:

-Breakfast is pretty robotic for me as I usually eat the same thing each morning. 3-4 Eggs, two slices of Ezekiel bread toasted, Greek yogurt, and a banana. I wash this down with either milk or orange juice. 

-Lunch is mostly meal prepped containers of either 8 oz of chicken with brown rice, 4-6 oz of broccoli or whole grain pasta with sauce and nut mix or various fruit for the snack.

-I always eat fruit and a protein bar when I am having cravings.

-Dinner is usually turkey meat, fish, or more chicken. I hardly let myself consume red meat unless it is a special occasion, or I have no other option. The reasoning behind this is my family has a lengthy history of kidney stones and consuming red meat in excess is a big contributing factor. 

-Before bed I have a casein shake with almond or 1% milk, as it is slower dissolving than Whey followed by an orange or apple.

*When I have room to play with my calorie intake, I usually eat some random snack food like a slice of pizza, or my guilty pleasure being donuts and cereal.

The biggest changes I need to make to my current diet is bringing more food with me in my lunch box to work. Lately, I have been eating what was supposed to be for lunch way before that time and when lunch comes around I fall into temptation and eat out with coworkers or my wife. Often it is fast food or processed food which I know I should not be eating. On top of bringing more food with me to work, the other huge change I need to make is to eat more carbs for the “gains” that I want so badly. I have fallen victim for the longest time of believing that carbs were holding me back from looking more “shredded” and I was completely wrong. I must get back to the basics and counting my macros daily, instead of just thinking whatever meals I have planned will be sufficient enough.
According to the Nutritional Guidelines I now know, I will be eating much more carbs, and getting back to eating 3-4 servings a day of fruits and vegetables. I have been guilty of only eating them when I am trying to curb my cravings and not eat junk food. I also want to include more legumes or beans into my weekly rotation so I can mix up and get an aspect of the food pyramid I haven't had much of in a while.

For anyone wanting a beginners example video of meal prepping, I am attaching a YouTube video link for you to take notes from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=690&v=91TkjzbEg7U

Also another big tip I will suggest for meal prepping is to order a food scale/Tupperware combo from amazon to aid in the simplicity of getting meals to the proper preparation.

Nutrition that Lasts a Lifetime!

            The journey of a healthy nutritional lifestyle starts before we take our very first breath! That’s right, while we are still developing in the womb, the choices in foods, drinks, vitamins/minerals our mothers make will have a lasting impact on the child throughout their lives. If a child does not receive the necessary vitamins/minerals, and sources of energy, the child can develop lifelong diseases, birth defects and sadly for some, die before entering the world. Let us look first at the recommendations for an expecting mother and how they should prepare and eat for two.

During pregnancy, it is recommended that the woman must start eating for not only herself, but the developing fetus growing inside of her. The woman must also maintain a healthy body-weight to avoid becoming underweight or malnourished. A direct result of this occurring is a child becoming a low birthrate statistic. A child can be considered this when they are under 5.5 pounds at birth which leads to a multitude of health concerns and birth defects. According to section 13.1, “a child who weighs less than 5.5 pounds is forty times more likely to die in its first year of life” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Not only must the mother eat healthy as possible, but they nasty habits of life such as smoking and drinking alcohol must come to an end as well for the duration of her pregnancy.

The numbers on how many babies suffer from alcohol syndrome (FASD) last year is astonishing. According to the CDC (Center for Disease and Control) there were 1.5 out of every 1,000 live births in the United States where FASD was identified. The hardest part about this disease is that most of the cases go undiagnosed until the child shows behavior patterns when they are in a school environment. “Studies using in-person assessment of school-aged children in several U.S. communities report higher estimates of FASD: 6 to 9 out of 1,000 children” (USA.gov 2018).

The father of the child also must stick to a specific nutritional plan. Fertility studies across the country have reached a consensus to recommended that the male intakes a higher amount of fruits and vegetables and avoid excess alcohol consumption to avoid infertility issues. Just like women, men also have a prenatal multivitamin that helps the body reach its full potential for this stage of life.

Once a child enters the stage of infancy, they are in what is known as one of the most critical periods of their lives. While breastfeeding their children, women must be wary of the foods and drinks they are consuming as to not poison their child. Section 13.5 informs us that “not only do infants grow rapidly fast, but also their basal metabolic rate is remarkably high-almost twice as high as that of an adult” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Breast milk is the preferred source of an infant’s nutrients for the first six months of life.

Once in the stage of childhood, we must keep a watchful eye on nutrition due to a vast increase in muscles firming and strengthening in young children. This calls for a much higher array of vitamins and nutrients to be implemented in the child’s diet. If there are ever any questions about the caloric intake for your children, we can refer to Table 14-1, which outlines the calories needed for specific age groups.

At the stags of adolescence and adulthood life, we must begin consuming more fruits, vegetables, grains, and calcium rich foods to help aid and support growth spurts and puberty. Puberty is the “period of human development during which physical growth and sexual maturity occurs” (Polsdorfer, J. R. 2019). There is no specific number of calories for each child as they all have different habits, activity levels, and body types but it is wise to start healthy eating habits as soon as possible to avoid health problems and becoming obese later in life. “Energy balance is often difficult to regulate in this society—an estimated 15 percent of U.S. children and adolescents 6 to 19 years of age are overweight” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017).

My personal top three methods/ways to maintain healthy eating habits are to:

1. Start young and stick to the plan.

2. Listen to those who are showing you a healthy example.

3. Research and follow FDA recommendations.

The more of us who would stick to these steps, the healthier we would be. The world is already dangerous enough for us to not take care of the only body we will ever get. Throughout this course, we have all come to know what the consequences of not eating and living a healthy lifestyle are. Hypertension, FASD, heart disease and cancer are just the main three we learned about. There are so many more dangers out there waiting for us to slip up. Thank you for taking this lifelong journey in nutrition with me, and I hope we can all take something away from the knowledge placed in front of us.

Works Cited:

1.    Polsdorfer, J. R. (2019). Puberty. Retrieved from: http://www.healthofchildren.com/P/Puberty.html

2.    Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5

3.    USA.gov (2018). CDC: Prevalence of FASD. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html

Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism of your Macros

            The human body’s Digestive system is known by a few other names, being the G.I. tract or Gastrointestinal, and the gut and the intestinal tube. Whichever name you choose to call it by, the purpose of this system is clear: to process and dispose of the nutrients and fluids your body consumes. The Gastrointestinal System is essentially a 30-foot tubing system comprised of the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and both the large and small intestines. The processes that occur in this system are “ingestion (eating/drinking), mastication (chewing), digestion, secretion (sweat), absorption, and excretion (elimination from the body)” (Colbert, B. J., Ankney, J., & Lee. K. T. 2013). Found in section 15.1 of my previous course text book.

            There are four stages of food processing in the Human body where digestion happens to be one of the four stages.

1. Ingestion- the act of taking in foods/fluids through the mouth, tongue, and teeth.

2. Digestion- physical and biochemical breakdown of food by the body

3. Absorption- taking the end-products of digestion and carries it to the intestines and pancreas

4. Elimination- urination or feces are the end-product of the total of food/fluids leaving the body.

            A more scientific answer/description can be found in the following quote: “The salivary glands as well as the stomach and intestines secrete biochemicals that act like little scissors that break down the food at a molecular level into even smaller pieces of nutrients. This biochemical digestion allows for large particles like proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to be broken down into smaller constituents, small enough to be absorbed by the body” (Cheprasov, A. 2018).

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06XzaKqELk

            How many times have you been talking to someone about their weight and the say either one of two responses:

1.    I have a slow metabolism, so I can’t lose weight easily

2.    My metabolism is so fast that it is almost impossible to gain weight

“Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy” (Mayo Clinic 2017). The fascinating thing about your metabolism is that your body burns calories even when you do nothing. NOTHING! For example, I burn 1600 calories while I am asleep. Because of this, I wake up and feel starved. A person’s metabolic rate speaks volumes about what they need to do in their diet to see the desired results. Someone like myself with a high metabolism needs to excessively increase their daily calories to gain weight. While a person with a slow metabolic rate must be even extra watchful on the number of calories they are ingesting.

“Several factors determine your individual basal metabolism, including:

·         Your body size and composition. People who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest.

·         Your sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories.

·         Your age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning” (Mayo Clinic 2017).

The amount of energy that your body's basic functions need stay consistent and aren't easily changed according to the Mayo Clinic article mentioned above. The last aspect of metabolism we will touch on is called thermogenesis and the level of physical activity your body is used to. Around 10-15% of the calories from the carbohydrates and protein you eat in a day are used to fuel the process of digestion. Physical activity and exercise such as running around the block or getting a session in a t your local gym make up for the rest of the calories your body burns up each day.

           

           

Works Cited:

1.    Cheprasov, A. 2018. The Four Stages of Digestion. Retrieved from: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-four-stages-of-food-processing.html

2.    Colbert, B. J., Ankney, J., & Lee. K. T. (2013). Anatomy, physiology, & disease: An interactive journey for health professionals (2nd ed.). Boston: MA. Pearson Education.

3.    Mayo Clinic. (2017). Metabolism and Weight Loss: How you Burn Calories. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508

4.    Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5

YouTube. (2012). Digestion: A Crash Course in Biology #28. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06XzaKqELk

Macro and Micro Nutrients

“You have to count your macros if you want to see results in the gym!” I hear this all the time from personal trainers, fitness instructors, and random people working out in the gym. I am sure you have heard it to. The saying means nothing if you do not know what it means. The slang terminology of macros is short for the scientific term Macro-nutrients. According to Dr. John Hensrud, the head of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, macro means “big”. “The three big nutrients we are talking about here is proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats)” (Roth, I. 2018). These three macro-nutrients are measured and consumed by the gram.

One could assume that micro means small, and that micro-nutrients are the smaller nutrients our bodies need to function properly. The micro-nutrients are broken down into two categories: vitamins and minerals. “Vitamins are necessary for energy production, immune function, blood clotting and other functions. Meanwhile, minerals play an important role in growth, bone health, fluid balance and several other processes” (Streit, L. 2018).

            “As a result, from the Nutrition Education and Labeling Act of 1990, all food labels are required to have common name of the product, name and address of manufacturer, weight (or count), Nutrient contents, ingredients, and allergy warnings” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Coming from someone who bases their daily decisions on whether I eat something based off the nutrition label, I find these tools abundantly helpful and essential to calculate my macros.

If more Americans would base their decisions on what they consume by these labels, they would be more aware of where their problems lie within their diet. By looking at how many calories are in a serving size and exactly what a serving size is, more obese people could lose weight and understand the math behind eating healthy. A specific example for my diet would be when I go out to eat at a restaurant, if they cannot provide me the nutritional facts on the menu or other source, I normally do not order anything. It drives my wife crazy, but I know what my nutritional needs are, and I strive to reach them every day.

What counting your macros does for you is enables you to gauge if you are getting the amount of protein, carbs, and fats you need daily. Each one of us will have unique macros based on four main things:

1.    Body type (Endomorph, Ectomorph, or Mesomorph)

2.    Metabolic rate (how many calories your body burns off doing nothing).

3.    Current Body Weight

4.    Goal Body Weight

I will attach a YouTube video to give a more detailed explanation of what counting macros is and how it benefits you and assists people in reaching their fitness and health goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HXkkanqPKA

           

Works Cited:

1.    Oz Media, LLC. (2019). How to Eat Your Vitamins: One Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.doctoroz.com/article/how-eat-your-vitamins-one-sheet

2.    Roth, I. (2018). Mayo Clinic: The Difference Between Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Retrieved from: https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-difference-between-micronutrients-and-macronutrients/

3.    Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5

4.    Streit, L. (2018). Micronutrients: Types, Functions, Benefits, and More. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/micronutrients

Social, Psychological and Philosophical Factors of Nutrition

Choices in our diet and the foods that we consume are affected largely in part of our culture and where we come from. For example, growing up in an Italian household such as mine, my family ate a lot of pastas, bread, beans, and fruits/vegetables. That can be very different from your traditional American family who may eat more fried foods, burgers, hot dogs, etc. Due to my family’s medical history, as an adult, I now changed a lot of my eating habits to help fight off the diseases that have plagues my loved ones. High blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer are the more major illnesses.  I now eat pastas made from whole wheat or vegetables and follow a very strict Mediterranean Diet (when I am not away on mission for the military).

Here are a few links to healthy recipes for Pasta alternatives:

https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/6-healthy-alternatives-to-pasta/

https://inspiralized.com/6-healthy-pasta-alternatives/ 

            Most of the people I know have emotional or psychological connections to their food because of comforting memories, or habits growing up. As section 1.4 states, a person may choose to eat or not to eat certain foods because of that food item being “eaten by someone you admire, or they indicate status, or they remind you of fun.” On the other hand, they were “forced on you, or you became ill while eating them” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). People also can develop certain eating habits based off their ability to eat what they can afford, or what is available to them. A huge problem I have experienced, especially in the Army, is that people eat based off fad diets or trends. One person may say they started a diet and they think it is cool or the new thing that’s big in pop culture. People jump into a diet and know nothing about it or conduct the slightest research.

            Another factor that may influence people to decide what to eat is their emotions. I know that sounds silly, but we all know the term “stress eating”. The same process can go into eating when an individual is upset. In the YouTube video, “Weight of the Nation”, around minute 45, we learn about Dr. Epel’s study on stress reduction and weight loss. “Mindful eating helps us recognize the difference between eating when we are hungry and eating because we are stressed or bored” (HBO Documentary Films. 2012). I for one, believe that for some people, food can be seen as a means of philosophical enlightenment. Food calms us down, makes us happy, and helps us relieve stress while cooking or enjoying a delicious meal. Unfortunately for most Americans who feel this way too, they go overboard and quickly spiral out of control. 

            As a nation, we are overweight, and it is in large part to the complete ignorance on the caloric intake we consume when eating outside our own homes. This goes together with the Psychological category or the way in which most Americans think about their foods/diet. In the comfort of our home we can measure and take our time reading the nutritional information. This allows us to make informed decisions. However, while you are on the go, most Americans just want to go as fast as possible and have a disregard to what they are shoveling in their mouths. The second health concern is the jump in diabetes in our country as well.

            Regarding social impacts of our Nation’s diet and views on nutrition, social media and gossip is probably one of the worst contributing factors. Think about the last time you were at the gym or talking to someone about their eating habits. So many of us jump straight into a fad diet that we know nothing about, or just blindly go with the advice that these individuals give us. I was a victim of this for the first year and a half of taking the fitness journey seriously. I wasted so much time, money and energy on diets that worked for others, but not for me. Either that, or I just assumed because someone who looked in better shape than me knew what they were talking about. Do your research people!! It is time for us to wake up and get back to finding the information for ourselves.

            There are three body types an individual can fall under and each of them require very different, very specific nutritional needs. Those three body types are: Ectomorph, Endo morph, and Mesomorph. Without going into detail of these three body types, I will just leave a link for you to gain your own knowledge. (This way we do not add to the problem of following what someone says without seeing the proof for ourselves).

https://www.coachmag.co.uk/lifestyle/4511/ectomorph-endomorph-or-mesomorph-what-is-your-body-type

           

           

            One of the biggest examples of buying into what a horrible and inaccurate diet trend is when people warn you to stay away from carbs “in order to see results and get the best body possible.” Recently, carbohydrates have gotten a bad rap in the health field.  Carbs have been accused of contributing to the obesity epidemic and causing chronic illnesses.  As a result, some companies have advised that we avoid carbs altogether. When looking at the facts and health professionals, this couldn’t be further than the truth. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. 

The definition in section 4.1 tells us that carbohydrates are the energy “captured in a form that living things use to drive the processes of life” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). This section even goes on to say that carbohydrates form the first link in the food chain. Think about it, most of the human diet come in the form of plants or animal protein. Both of which, either are plants, or are eaten by the animals we will eventually consume. To say that carbohydrates are bad for you would be ironic to what we understand the nature of carbs wouldn’t it?

Works Cited:

1.    Kennedy, L. (2019). Reader’s Digest: Six Delicious Pasta Alternatives That Won’t Make You Miss Carbs. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/6-healthy-alternatives-to-pasta/

2.    No Author. (2018). Spiralized: Six Healthy Pasta Alternatives. Retrieved from: https://inspiralized.com/6-healthy-pasta-alternatives/

3.    Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5

4.    Snape, J. (2017). Coach Mag: Ectomorph, Endomorph, and Mesomorph: How to Train for Your Body Type. Retrieved from: https://www.coachmag.co.uk/lifestyle/4511/ectomorph-endomorph-or-mesomorph-what-is-your-body-type

           

Welcome to the journey and connection of Nutrition and Wellness!

We all have our own journey in this life. Some of us have the desire to be a famous singer, athlete, painter, etc. Others strive to protect and serve as a military member, police officer, or firefighter. Then you have a clear majority of our country who are entirely okay with just getting by day to day. These same people are most likely a big portion of the percentage of Americans living with diseases such as cardiovascular disease or C.V.D, diabetes, hypertension and various forms of cancer. These diseases are often associated with the individuals who do not take care of their bodies and ignore their nutrition and health.

For those of us, like myself, who fell in love with the market of fitness and health industry, it is a struggle to grasp our heads around why people live the way in which they do each day. To blatantly disregard the heath recommendations of science and professionals is like committing slow suicide. By no means will I become rich and famous (unless I happen to get lucky), but something far more valuable shall be attained. I'm talking about fulfillment by helping others reach their dreams/goals. Nutrition is no easy field to work in as the trendy diets, myths about this food or that food, and thousands of "online coaches" are popping up to add to the utter confusion that is a healthy lifestyle. The information that hits the public's ear is always different and most of the time based off complete opinion.

What exactly is nutrition? I am a current student of Dietetics and Nutrition at Ashford University, and over the past few months, I have finally begun taking my major level classes getting into the "meat and potatoes" if you will, of the science behind nutrition. As I have learned over the past five weeks, nutrition is the term we use to define “the science of how food nourishes the body” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). A diet is simply a compilation of the foods and drinks we consume. While reading through the chapter this week, one fact that stood out as fascinating was that the normal person will end up consuming over 70,000 meals. 

The effects of what we choose to eat over our lifetime can greatly impact how long we live, what diseases we develop or fight off because of our choices. The best foods for humans to consume will allow for proper “support, growth, and maintenance of strong muscles, sound bones, healthy skin, and sufficient blood flow to nourish all parts of your body” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Our bodies run on a combination of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and the “holy trinity” if you will, of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (lipids).

So many diseases/conditions can arise from an individual choosing to ignore a healthTwo consequences of inadequate/improper nutrition are heart disease and anemia. Heart Disease is the number one leading killer in the United States regarding malnutrition. Anemia is the condition “where your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin” (Web-MD 2019). This disease can be treated with proper vitamins and supplements (mainly an Iron supplement). There are countless other diseases caused by a poor diet.

Two health implications of this change come in the form of a higher rate of obesity in our country. Back in the year 2000, adult obesity rates in our country were at 30.5%. Today, that rate has jumped ten whole points to 40%. As a nation, we are overweight, and it is in large part to the complete ignorance on the caloric intake we consume when eating outside our own homes. In the comfort of our home we can measure and take our time reading the nutritional information. This allows us to make informed decisions. However, while you are on the go, most Americans just want to go as fast as possible and have a disregard to what they are shoveling in their mouths. The second health concern is the jump in diabetes in our country as well. Going hand in hand with the obesity rates, diabetes has jumped from 12 million cases to 30.2 million cases.

We will look at the top three leading killers of Americans who suffer from being overweight or obese. Let’s start on cardiovascular disease. If an individual, especially a woman, eats a diet with limited saturated and trans-fat, but high in fruits, veggies, nuts, seafood, and grains can easily fight their chance to develop this heart disease. As I learned in section 11.3 of my course textbook, women are a majority of the 83 million Americans who developed this condition since 2016. Next, let’s look at what kind of diet can help fight off hypertension, and cancer. Figure 11-3 is basically a chart or checklist of what diets need to consist of or what to avoid for the different diseases.

Here is a link to the American Heart/Stroke Association's findings on 2017 statistics :

https://healthmetrics.heart.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Heart-Disease-and-Stroke-Statistics-2017-ucm_491265.pdf 

Cancer and Hypertension both call for avoiding diets high in salty/pickled foods, both saturated and trans-fat. They also call for individuals to drink alcohol in moderation and to increase their fruits and vegetable intake. a is a term known very well by all of us and unfortunately can hit any and everyone at any age, and for any reason, so we cannot definitively say that a poor diet is to cause. However, we can say that a healthy one can help fight off and lower your chances of developing the disease. Hypertension is just a fancy word for high cholesterol. The scary part about this disease is that it is often called the silent killer. For years, there can be no signs or symptoms and without knowing what healthy levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures are, you will never know. Normal ranges of these are below 120 and 80, respectively.

Malnutrition is yet another disease that can affect the human body due to a poor diet. Think of malnutrition as being undernourished or failing to give your body the needed vitamins/minerals and sources of energy it needs to function properly. A great example of this would be failing to fill your vehicle with air for the tires, oil for the engine and your loved ones using their seat belts for protection. According to table 9-1 of our text book, underweight is a term used to describe someone who has a Body Mass Index under 18.5 and is considerably far more likely to die due to a wasting disease (such as cancer). Their bodies are already malnourished, and they have a harder time retaining the needed nutrients. Having too little body fat greatly increases an individual’s ability to fight off any foreign illness/bacteria.

Overweight is considered to anyone with a Body Mass Index of greater than 30. “An estimated 69% of American adults are considered to be in the category of overweight or obese” (30% are obese) (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Having too much body fat can directly cause disorders like Arthritis, breathing problems, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension and multiple forms of cancer. People who are obese are three times more likely to develop these conditions than normal people.

Looking at Table 9-2 of our textbook, the mortality rate of people shown by the J shape graph shows a high chance to die at 15 (starvation) and then sky rockets when the Body Mass Index hits 35-40. The population who are considered obese and severely obese are three times likely to die of a serious disease like I mentioned in the paragraph above. Some preventative measures to avoid being overweight are simple. An individual need to eat a balanced diet, drink adequate amounts of water, take vitamins, and stay active by working out.

Works Cited:

1.      1.  Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

2.      2.  Web-MD (2019). Understanding Anemia-The Basics. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-basics#1
          3. American Heart and Stroke Association. (2017). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2017-At a Glance. Retrieved from: https://healthmetrics.heart.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Heart-Disease-and-Stroke-Statistics-2017-ucm_491265.pdf