9. Exercises

It’s Your Turn

  1. Record in a dietary assessment diary the calories you consumed in one week. This can be done on your cell phone.
  2. Calculate your EER by visiting http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced and determine whether your average daily intake of calories falls below, meets, or exceeds your EER.
  3. Make a list of five strategies your local schools and community could implement to effectively address the childhood obesity problem.

Apply It

  1. Calculate your BMI and waist-to-hip ratio. Make a list of five behavioral changes you can make to meet your goal of maintaining weight, reducing weight, or increasing weight.

  2. Summarize in a paragraph or two why (with respect to reducing future chronic disease burden) it is of utmost importance to combat childhood obesity. Watch this video of First Lady Michelle Obama’s unveiling of the initiative to combat childhood obesity to assist you in this assignment.

    US First Lady Michelle Obama Unveils Initiative to Battle Childhood Obesity

    (click to see video)
  3. The CDC website provides a list of physical activities and categorizes them as moderate or vigorous (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf). Use this source to develop an exercise program that fits your lifestyle and follows the recommended amounts of physical activity.

Expand Your Knowledge

  1. Make a daily log of your physical activities using the spreadsheet available at http://www.health-calc.com/Calculate_daily_energy_expenditure.pdf. Then calculate your EER by visiting http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced.
  2. Harvard Health Publications has a document that lists the calories burned for various physical activities. It is available at http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and -routine-activities.htm. Use it to develop a physical activity program that is attractive to you and follows the recommended physical activity guidelines.