A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise

Chapter 3: Weight Management 68 Summary • Obesity is a common, serious, and costly disease where individuals with obesity are at greater risk for multiple diseases and unhealthy bodily conditions. • There are several factors related to the cause of weight gain including an individual’s genetics, age, socioeconomic status, gender, current diseases, drug interactions, ethnicity and psychological state. • Total daily calorie expenditure can be calculated by evaluating resting metabolic rate, exercise expenditure and the thermic effect of food. • Effective strategies for weight loss require reasonable weight loss goals, a positive energy balance, an increase in physical activity, and small, but permanent changes in diet and eating habits. • There is a hierarchy of factors to consider in terms of losing body fat and keeping it off starting with balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and stress management, regular resistance training and normal hormone levels. • Understanding the location of body fat plays an important role in managing health and disease risk and requires appropriate techniques for assessing body composition • Implementing a safe and sustainable eating strategy is imperative for both long-term health and keeping weight off.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=