Portion size is increasing throughout most high-income countries. Many studies look at how when increasing portion size the overall energy intake for a person increases. Energy density has a part to play with portion size as usually if a portion size in increased so will the energy density, therefore higher energy intake. But some studies have shown that the energy intake could me more down to the energy density of the food and not the size of the portion. Energy density is the amount of calories or energy that is in a weight of food. This is usually expressed in number of calories in a gram of food (kcal/g). Foods that have are very high energy dense will provide a lot more calories per gram of food than the lower density foods will. This means that a person for the same amount of calories can consume much larger portion sizes of lower energy dense foods than they can of higher energy dense foods.
The energy density of a food is determined by its composition. In lower density foods there is a lot of water. Water lowers the density of a food because the energy density of water is 0kcal/g. This means that the water will contribute towards the weight, but it will not alter the food. Another nutrient that has low energy density is fibre. This has a energy density of around 1.5-2.5 kcal/g so this means that fibre will help to lower the energy density. Carbohydrates and proteins are around 4kcal/g meaning that they are quite dense. Providing more than double of carbohydrates and proteins is fat. Fat is around 9kcal/g and it is the most dense nutrient in food increasing energy density of foods greatly.
Some examples of low energy density foods are vegetables, fruits and soups. These foods have a very high water content as well as usuall...
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...in this kind of cross sectional data there is no way to determine causality.
A study done by (Fitzwater SL et al, 1991) consisted of 18 individual and group counseling meetings over 7 months. They tried to get overweight individuals to eat a low energy dense diet consisting of high amounts of fruit and vegetables. The results shown that the subjects had lost an average of 7.3kg 53% of the participants continued to maintain this and continue to lose weight over 2 years. However this study didn’t include a comparison or control group or detailed food intake information, it does state that consuming a diet which is rich in low energy dense foods is an effective strategy for weight loss and maintenance. Also additional evidence supports the diets rich in low energy dense foods. A study done by (Epstein LH et al, 2001) shows how low energy diets can lead to weight loss.
Today many people are substituting normal meals with energy bars in hopes of losing weight. These energy bars seem to be an easy way to diet without having to hunt down the proper nutritional meals; the meal is already prepared for you in the bar. There are a few questions being raised about this method of dieting however. The issue addressed in this paper is the use of energy bars that either have low carbohydrate levels or that use lower glycemic index carbohydrates. The idea behind using an energy bar of this type for dieting is to lower the levels of insulin in the blood, reduce cholesterol levels, and prevent the drop in blood glucose that is thought to be associated with feeling hungry.
Obesity is a product of energy imbalance and it has become a major issue affecting citizens globally, especially in the United States. Over two-thirds of the United States population is excessively overweight and another one-third of the population is inordinately obese. A human requires a precise amount of energy from nutriment in order to maintain life functions. The body will remain consistent to the number of calories the body burns, then again if more calories are consumed than the ones burned, it will no longer remain equal. This imbalance pushes unwanted weight gain and obesity. There is an abundance of factors that lead to not having energy inequality such as eating habits, emotions, environment, income and genetics. In this essay, I intend to discuss how obesity has been growing in the United States and the health concern to this global epidemic (Caballero, 2007).
In 2010 the center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) calculated that as much as 34.9 % of adults in the United States are Obese (Obesity). At this rate it is estimated that at least 3/4 of adults in the United States will be obese or overweight by the year 2020(Obesity). The United States has made great efforts to reduce this percentage such as exercise programs and promoting healthy eating (Published). However, with 60% of our meals consisting of added sugar and processed and genetically modified food, it is quite hard to find the ideal diet in order to lose weight and be healthy (Trying). Many of these diets include Vegan diets, Vegetarian diets, low carb diets and the Atkins diet. However, these diets tend to be impractical and
The low carbohydrate diets and the low fat diets both claim to be successful methods of losing weight and staying healthy. Both diet plans also attempt to carry out their goals by restricting what dieters can and cannot eat in relation to what is recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through altering what nutritionists suggest for a healthy regime, low carbohydrate and low fat meal plans potentially put dieters at a higher risk for developing health problems and diseases. Also, diet plans do not necessarily accomplish their goals when maintained over a long period of time.
Lifestyle choices play a big role in obesity. The absence of exercise and unhealthy eating habits (such as eating too much) are part of the cause. Refined foods and foods in high sugar or fat should not account for many of one’s calories, or one will gain weight. Maintaining a healthy w...
Even though their process in achieving weight loss and good health are in complete contrast; researchers found that each of the diets accomplish the same results. Starting with each diet’s idea, low fat diets state that fat is bad for the body they also address that not all fats are dangerous. Low fat dieters actually admit that some fats are needed to stay healthy. The low fat diet does not restrict a person from foods that contain fat. In an online article Choose a Diet low in Fat, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol, it was stated that “Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids and promote absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K”.
A healthy diet may help to prevent certain chronic long-term conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and may reduce the risk of developing certain cancers. Nutrition information offers a public health tool that could be used to promote informed consumer choice and aid consumption of a healthy diet. However millions of women chose to take dietary supplements to maintain good health, ease illnesses and defy ageing. Supplements are also used as a medication in women with decreased iron stores, because of menses and pregnancies (Anderson & Fitzgerald, 2010). The main aim of the research project is to explore the motivations surrounding the use of nutritional information among young women and relate this information to the choice to use supplements. This is important to women’s health and the topic of nutrition as a large amount of money is spent on both food and supplements. When nursing patients with a wide range of different conditions nutrition is the foundation of all treatment. It also reduces mortality, relapses and subsequent hospital admissions. The complexity of this subjective person and objective body aligned philosophically as interpretivism and positivism respectively reinforces the importance of both qualitative and quantitative approaches contributing to understanding of this (Gerrish and Lacey 2006). Nutrition is also crucial in health and social policy financially through reduction in readmissions which will reduce costs for practice as obesity and poor diet cost the NHS billions of pounds every year (Department Of Health, 2013).
...ensity and Energy Costs." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79.1 (2004): 6-16. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended ("Obesity and Overweight” World Health Organization). There has been a marked increase in sugar content in the average American diet. Most processed foods are high in sugar con...
The human body is like a machine that needs fuel to be able to accomplish certain tasks. Too much fuel or to little fuel can have a great impact on how the machine runs. Food is the fuel that runs the human body. Making the right food choices is crucial to a person’s health. Making unhealthy food choices can lead to the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer. Along with making the right food choices, it is also important to eat those foods in proper portions. Every person is different, so their portions will also be different. There are several factors that influence a person to eat food. Such as hunger, emotions, environment, availability, family and many more.
of the original misnamed Mayo Clinic diet, has gained much attention for both its success and failure as a method of weight loss. Studies show that there is no specific nutrient, including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats, that directly causes a person to gain or lose weight. The pivotal factor in weight loss is the capability to consume less fuel than the body needs to burn in order to function. However, two large weight loss food corporations, Atkins Nutritionals and the South Beach Company, have successfully marketed their own brand of low carbohydrate diets. These low carbohydrate diets share many similarities, while maintaining distinct modifications between the diet methods.
One health-related topic that receives considerable attention concerns eating habits and the development of obesity. Biological, environmental, social, and psychological factors that influence eating are typically an aspect that is assessed with the discussion of obesity concerns in the United States (U.S.). Obesity is widespread and remains a prominent health issue in the U.S.. One of the ways overweight and obesity is defined entails the operation of the body mass index (BMI) of an individual. This study consists of how these factors have a direct correlation leading to obesity in many individuals nation-wide.
It is important to stay away from empty calorie foods and energy dense foods. Empty calorie foods are foods high in calories but contain little nutrients like vitamins, proteins, and minerals. Examples of empty calorie foods include chips and soda. These are the normal snack foods and craving foods. Energy dense foods are foods that contain a high amount of calories per unit. These foods are often processed and have a high shelf life. Fast food like hamburgers, fried chicken and milkshakes are examples of energy dense foods. There are some exceptions to energy dense foods. For example, nuts are high in calories, but are a good source of healthy fats. It is acceptable to eat nuts in
Most fruits and vegetables are low in calories, fat and also high in fibre and these three factors are essential ingredients for successful weight loss. Vegetables that contain high fiber and water such as artichokes and broccoli help to keep you full for longer time and it will keep you satisfied until your next meal. According to Cynthia Sass, "Foods that contain fiber, protein, and plant based fat tend to be the most satiating". These nutrients are digested slowly by the stomach or digestive system then this nutrient will be absorbed by the body system. This process will helps you feel physically full for longer period (Jones, 2015, para.1). In addition, vegetables also help to prevent dips and spikes in your energy levels. Another function of fiber in vegetables is it helps to regulate blood sugar in your body. If you are eating all your allotted vegetables each day, you should not experience that late-afternoon energy slump and cravings for sugar that you may encounter when eating processed carbohydrates (5 Reasons, 2015, para.3). In fact, vegetables tend to be lower in calories compared to other food such as poultry, meat and bread. According to Colorado State University Extension, individuals who follow a vegetarian diet consume fewer calories on average than non-vegetarians (Smith, 2014, para.1). By practicing low fat and calorie food, it can help you to promote
Nutrition is an important part of our daily lives because of the numerous effects it has on our health and fitness. There are many different influences that can affect a person’s nutritional habits. The type of environment and the way people are raised often affect the way they diet and whether that diet is healthy or unhealthy. Because a person cannot always choose how and where he or she is raised, education concerning nutrition and healthy diets should be taught to all ages and social classes. Lack of nutritional education and obesity rates are positively correlated in the United States. This lack of education as well as poor nutritional habits have played a major role in the increased amount of obese individuals in the United States, and throughout the world.