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Physics of Weight Loss ProgramsConservation of Energy, Exercise, Diets, & Staying or Becoming Slim
Conservation of energy is a basic principle of physics that can give some insight into what is needed for a successful weight loss program.
Weight loss diets abound. There is the Atkins diet, South Beach diet, Weight Watchers, low fat diets, low carbohydrate diets, and so forth. Different weight loss diets have conflicting rules about what to eat and avoid. How can a dieter evaluate which weight loss program is best? The fundamental physics of gaining and losing weight is the law of conservation of energy. Conservation of EnergyIn physics the law of conservation of energy says that energy can change form but can be neither created nor destroyed. As a consequence, a machine must have a source of energy to do work. Also extra energy cannot just disappear. It must be stored someplace. Energy Conservation and Weight ControlApply this principle to humans. If someone uses energy for some physical activity, that energy must come from somewhere: food eaten. If the food intake is not enough the body must use stored energy. People who ingest more energy, via food and drink, than they use, via physical activity, must store this extra energy. Fat is the body's way of storing energy. Calories are a unit of energy. The calorie content of food measures how much energy the food contains. The calories used in a physical activity measure the energy required for that activity. According to conservation of energy, people whose calorie intake, via food, is greater than their calorie output will store the extra energy as fat and gain weight. People whose calorie output, via basal metabolism and physical activity, is greater than their calorie intake will burn fat to make up the energy deficit. They will lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn with exercise, you will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you burn with exercise, you will lose weight. It's that simple and that hard. There are no magic formulas. The laws of physics have no exceptions, not even for presidents. Permanent Weight LossAny weight loss program that uses any combination of diet and exercise so that calories in are less than calories out, will result in short term weight loss. However if dieters revert to their former habits and consume more calories than they need, they will gain the weight back. Research on people who permanently lose significant amounts of weight shows that they adopt permanent lifestyle changes. Temporary diets produce temporary results. To lose weight permanently, pick a sensible eating plan you can adopt for life. This research also shows that successful weight losers almost always exercise daily, usually by walking or running. In terms of physics, the exercise uses energy. Every calorie burned by exercise, is one less calorie stored as fat. The exercise will also improve health and fitness. Gender DifferencesWomen often complain that it is much harder for them to lose weight than for men. Why? On the average, men are larger than women. A larger person needs more calories for basal metabolism and to perform any physical activity. Therefore men, on the average, need more calories to maintain their weight than women. If they are trying to lose weight, they can eat more and still run a calorie deficit. A petite woman who marries an NFL linebacker and wants to eat as much as her husband may need to run daily marathons to keep her slim figure. The same would be true for a small man. It's mostly a size difference. To lose weight permanently, use a lifelong combination of sensible eating and exercise that insures your energy output is greater than your energy intake. It's fundamental physics.
The copyright of the article Physics of Weight Loss Programs in Physics is owned by Paul A. Heckert. Permission to republish Physics of Weight Loss Programs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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