As adults get older, age becomes a risk factor. Aging exposes and makes people prone to various serious diseases.
Among these health concerns are obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart ailments, and so forth.
Hence, physicians who conduct comprehensive executive checkups usually prescribe adults to have healthy body weight.
This advice could mean that a person should lose, gain, or keep one’s weight, or prevent being overweight.
Doctors and health professionals employ a technique on how people can achieve the correct body weight.
This methodology involves evaluating how a person uses the energy in his body.
- Fundamental Concepts of Energy and Energy Counter
Energy is a term which is synonymous to the word “calories.” When people eat, they take in calories in their body.
Then, they use these calories as the fuel that help them accomplish their tasks every day.
When doctors check the wellness condition of adults, they usually take note of their patient’s body weight.
Physicians assess whether a person is burning calories and keeping fit or otherwise. When performing this activity, they usually employ an energy counter.
This chart is a calculator that doctors and other wellness specialists use to record the personal details of a patient.
Moreover, the energy counter gives physicians a clear picture of a person’s usage of energy.
It enables a healthcare professional to understand whether the patient is using the energy in his body correctly or otherwise.
Plus, the energy counter helps them conclude as to whether their patient should lose, maintain, or gain weight to stay in the best of health.
Hire are the pieces of information found in an energy counter:
- Age – This shows how young or old a patient is.
- Weight – This measurement, which doctors express in pounds or kilograms,indicates whether the patient has the correct weight.
Otherwise, he could be overweight or underweight.
- Height – This measurement, which is in either feet and inches, or in
centimetres indicates how tall or short the patient is.
- Sex – This indicator presents the patient’s gender, whether he is a male or a female.
- Activity Level – This portion presents whether a patient is physically active or otherwise, based on the assessment of a physician or wellness professional.
Activity Level calculations include six indicators. Based on an article from women’s wellness magazine Women’s Health and Fitness, they are:
A) INACTIVE
This indicator means that an adult does not engage in any regular physical activity or exercise.
B) LIGHT
This indicator in the energy counter means that a person does not do regular physical activities.
Nevertheless, as a component of his normal life activities every day, he incorporates standing or walking daily that lasts for three to four hours.
C) MODERATE
A person that receives this indicator means that he engages in physical activity occasionally.
During the week, these exercises may consist of biking, jogging, or swimming.
Plus, on the weekend, he engages in some recreational activity that keeps him fit like tennis or golf.
D) HEAVY
The energy calculator indicates that a person with this indicator does fitness and recreational pursuits regularly.
Moreover, the individual may engage in these activities for 30 minutes up to one hour in one session, and at least three to four times in one week.
E) VIGOROUS
This indicator in the energy counter means that a person engages in fitness activities regularly for one hour or more, and at least four times per week.
F) EXERCISE TO GAIN WEIGHT
People usually get this indicator in their energy counter results when they are underweight.
Thus, the doctor or medical expert would typically prescribe them to engage in physical activities that would help them gain weight.
After calculating a person’s calorie intake and weight by gathering these personal details, the health evaluator of the patient will find a statement present at the bottom of the energy counter.
He has to fill it out by writing the number of calories that the patient needs and its equivalent.
In this manner, the patient will know the body weight appropriate for him and will take the necessary steps to achieve that weight target.
- Methods of Achieving Energy Balance to Keep the Right Weight
After a patient receives information about the number of calories he needs to keep suitable body weight, doctors would determine and prescribe his diet and physical activities.
Every person is different when it comes to the number of calories he requires per day.
He either has to lose, maintain, or gain more weight, which are details that the energy counter helps determine.
Doctors would also discuss the concept of energy balance.
This idea pertains to the state of equilibrium in the calorie intake a person gets through drinking and eating, compared to the calories he burns by engaging in physical activities.
“Energy In” is the food and drink a person takes in his body, while “Energy Out” pertains to the calories he burns through exercises and other activities.
The amount of “Energy Out” or physical activity that a person performs is a significant component of keeping energy balance.
People who are more physically active can burn more energy or calories than people who are not.
According to the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the following formulas indicate the correlation between energy balance and weight.
1) The same amount of ENERGY OUT (Calories burned) and ENERGY IN (Calories
consumed) over time = Weight Unchanged
2) More ENERGY OUT than ENERGY IN over time = Weight Loss
3) More ENERGY IN than ENERGY OUT over time = Weight Gain
Therefore, once a person understands whether he needs to lose or gain weight, he has to be mindful of the things he should do based on the doctor’s prescription.
III. Techniques That Help in Preventing Weight Gain
As adults, they are healthy if they are not overweight or underweight. Obese people should reduce their calorie intake (Energy In) and increase their calorie burn (Energy Out).
Performing these measures are the optimal methods for people to attain and keep healthy body weight.
For example, for a 150-pound person, he can burn 150 calories (Energy Out) in 30 minutes by doing the following activities:
- Going for a bike ride;
- Shooting hoops;
- Walking two miles; and
- Doing gardening or yard work, raking leaves, and so forth.
Doing these physical activities can undoubtedly help adults burn calories.
They just need to be consistent with their intent to stay healthy to prevent weight gain and avert serious ailments that aging entail.
