in A Weight Reduction Study
of consent to
(name) (Address)
participate in a weight reduction study to be carried out in the spring semester of 1977. The study will be conducted by a graduate student in psychology, Daniel Wilcox, at the State University College in Geneseo.
I further submit that I have no known history o f medical problems which would make weight reduction inadvisable and will secure a physician’s consent (below) before entering into the study.
I have read and fully understand the above statements.
I have received no guarantee or assurance o f the results that may be obtained.
Signed
(Signature of Participant) (Date)
At this time, I have observed no medical reasons contraindicating the above named person’s participation in a weight reduction study.
Signed
APPENDIX c
Obesity and Weight Control Information
What exactly is obesity? Obesity refers to the condition of fatness or the presence of an excessive amount o f adipose tissue in the body. It is not the same as overweight. Overweight refers to body weight in excess of the average. This could represent muscle, fluid, fat, bone, or any combination thereof. As a more common example of this distinction, a professional football player is almost always overweight but he is very unlikely to have too much fatty tissue. His overweight condition is due primarily to excessive muscle. As a rule, obese people are almost always overweight while overweight people are not necessarily obese.
What causes obesity? Obesity is caused by caloric intake in excess o f energy expenditure. This, o f course, is the simple answer. The more complex question that this statement gives rise to is; how does this imbalance occur? For this answer, we have a whole technology and indeed, a civilisation to deal with. Riding lawnmowers, electric can openers, highly palatable, high calorie junks foods, and sedentary jobs shed a little light on the scope o f the problem. The method o f overcoming this unavoidable consequence o f eating too much and moving too little is obvious. One must reduce caloric intake and exercise more. For best results, both these components should be included in your weight control programme. There are some good reasons for this, too. To lose weight through reduction o f food intake alone, is to experience constant hunger. However, moderate exercise seems to decrease appetite, thus serving a twofold purpose, i.e. burning up fat and reducing consequent food intake. Further, obese people use up more fat than average weight people when they exercise because moving their extra weight requires more work.
Having established what obesity is and how it is caused, it is necessary to consider what good nutrition is. This amounts to properly balancing some 40 to 45 food elements needed for health. To get this balance, we should eat foods from five basic categories each day. These categories are, 1) milk products, 2) meats, 3) fruit, 4)
vegetables, and 5) cereals. There is also a sixth division, that of miscellaneous foods. In this department most Americans overindulge, for this is the category o f the ever popular, high calorie, low nutritional value, junk foods. Examples include potato chips, soda pop, alcoholic beverages, candy, and most desserts. In large part, these foods should be considered “empty” in that they provide only a high concentration of calories that will be converted to fat and almost nothing else which contributes to
good health. _
At this point it is necessary to look at nutritional concepts in order to get a better understanding of dieting. A commonly used term is “calorie”. A calorie is a measure of the energy value in food. When we do work, the food calories we’ve consumed are converted and “used up” by the body. Foods vary enormously in caloric content. Excess calories are stored up, mainly as fat. There are approximately 3,500 calories in one pound o f fat. To lose that pound, you must consume 3,500 fewer calories than you would need to maintain your present weight. This can be accomplished over an extended period by consistently consuming fewer calories than your quota for weight maintenance. This may be further facilitated by expending additional calories through increased physical activity.
When one considers reducing food intake, it is important to examine the nutrients the body requires so that health will not be jeopardised. These nutrients include fats or lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. These elements serve as raw materials or as catalysts for metabolic processes. As an open, dynamic, and working system, the body requires frequent replenishing o f these materials. All these components have specific functions and must be represented in a good diet. As an example, carbohydrates provide heat and energy, they perform regulatory functions, and the raw materials for various structural features.
The following guidelines are suggested for health dieting:
1.) Eat at least six ounces o f lean meat, fish, fowl or other high protein food per day (alternatives include nuts, peas, beans, cheese, eggs, and peanut butter). 2.) Eat four or more servings of cereals per day. Examples o f servings are, one
slice o f bread, one half cup o f pasta, or cooked grains, or three fourths cup of ready to eat cereal.
3.) Fruits, especially citrics and vegetables, green and yellow, should be eaten frequently.
4.) Adults should drink at least two glasses of milk daily, preferably skimmed. 5.) Don’t eat too much! Cleaning your plate won’t help a single Chinese orphan.
If you’re full, stop!
6.) Don’t eat too much sugar and fat. Highly processed foods contain extra amounts of these substances, but, again, be aware that their actual food values are often limited while their caloric contents are very high. Fat contains twice as many calories as equal weights of protein or carbohydrate.
7.) Don’t restrict your diet too much. A diversity of foods assures good nutrition and makes dieting easier from a practical standpoint. For instance, if your diet specifically calls for one half cup o f beets for lunch and you don’t have access to a can opener (or the beets and a stove) your diet, too, is canned! Diversify your diet and include enough fimits, vegetables, and meats.
Proper dietary planning is the safe way to lose weight. By taking precautions, one can reduce the quantity o f food ingested while actually improving the quality o f the diet. Understanding of nutrition is an important starting point. Conscientiously attending to the kinds of food you consume is the second step. Employing a two faceted approach including both decreased caloric intake and increase energy expenditure is the final step to the goal of weight reduction.
APPENDIX D