Week 7 Online Lecture Discussion Assignment-Lectures 9 and 10

 

 

In this section of our course we will begin to discuss a bit more about societal impacts on our diet and health.
You will find these topics covered in the questions below, as well as some additional online discussion
assignments.  Let’s move on now to tackle the topics of energy balance, obesity and eating disorders and then
continue to discuss a bit about exercise physiology and nutrition.  For the following discussion assignment,
review and think about all of the posted content links and questions. For the questions below, please choose
just one or two highlighted questions from each lecture (one or two questions from Lecture 9 and one
or two questions from Lecture 10) that are interesting to you that you would like to discuss.

 

Lecture 9

Take a look at the information related to metabolic rate.  We can see that the amount of energy (kcal) we need to consume just to maintain our basal metabolic rate can vary between individuals. When we think about this variation, how does it relate to the BMI chart?  Do you think that the BMI chart is a good way to assess whether we are overweight or obese?   Why or why not?

We will focus most of our discussions of obesity on another assignment that has already posted. When we look
at the relationship between obesity and genetics, were you surprised to find that our genes can account for
almost 70% of our  weight differences? Does this shift your perspective on the causes of obesity? Why or why
not?

Losing weight is a goal of many fad and popular diets.  What do you think the differences are between a ‘diet’ and a ‘healthy lifestyle’.  How do you think we need to approach weight loss?  Should we be trying to lose as much weight as we can as quickly as possible?  See if you can calculate your particular EER.  To view the equation for calculating your individual EER you can view your textbook or lecture 9 slide 7.

For more information on healthy weight loss strategies you can view this link:

The Weight of the Nation: Part 2 – Choices (HBO Docs)                                                                           (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hLv0Vsegmoo&feature=youtu.be)

 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLv0Vsegmoo&feature=youtu.be)

 

When we observe the possible treatments for obesity, we find that there are surgical as well as diet

interventions.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has encouraged the use of weight loss surgery in children and young adults.

 

Follow this link for more info on this topic:

 

AAP guidance calls for better access to bariatric surgery for teens with severe obesity

 

(https://www.aappublications.org/news/2019/10/27/bariatricsurgery102719)

 

Recently, new treatments for obesity using semaglutide injection have come on the market.  Semaglutide

(Wegovy) is marketed for obesity treatment in children 12 years or older with obesity or that are overweight with a co-occurring health condition.

FDA Approves Semaglutide Injections for Weight Loss in Teens

(https://www.healthline.com/health-news/fda-approves-diabetes-drug-semaglutide-wegovy-for-
weight-loss-teens)

Which do you think is the best way to address obesity (surgery, diet or injections)?  Do you think we should be encouraging weight loss surgery or injections in children and teens?  Why or why not?

Give us an example of a fad diet or popular diet that you have encountered or even used and briefly describe how it is supposed to work.  Where did you hear about this diet? Do you think it is a good idea to approach weight loss this way?  Why or why not?

 

Lecture 10

When we begin to review lecture 10 we find a good discussion of the benefits of exercise.  This takes us back
to a question we posed at the beginning of the class .. how important is exercise vs. diet to longevity and
health?

When we look at muscle energy storage we can see that muscle cells store some readily available ATP, this is the first source of fuel for our muscles to move.  But notice that this fuel doesn’t last long.  We can see that we need to recycle that ATP molecule, and we can do that by using phosphocreatine (creatine phosphate).  What does creatine phosphate provide?

Now we know we can use some muscle glycogen for our next source of fuel here.  We remember from our last lecture that this anaerobic vs. aerobic construct isn’t as simple as it sounds, but the take-away here is that
anaerobic sources provide fuel quickly, aerobic sources take time.

We can burn various sources in our diet for fuel .. which sources of fuel do we use for long term low energy exercise vs. short term, high energy exercise?  Why?

When we examine VO2max we can see that the capacity for an individual to use oxygen is very closely related
to the type of muscle tissue that person has accumulated.  Activities that include aerobic exercise and the
deposition of aerobic muscle tissue will allow an athlete to use oxygen (higher VO2max) than an athlete that
has focused on the use of anaerobic tissue.  So what does this mean…aerobic vs. anaerobic tissue?

Take a look at the differences between glycolytic and oxidative muscle tissue.  Notice that there are many

different names for basically the same sorts of comparisons…red vs. white muscle, slow twitch vs. fast twich, Type I, Type IIA, Type IIX.  Let’s cut to the chase and look at what differentiates Type I, Type IIA and Type IIX. Take a looks at these and give us a good description of each type of muscle tissue. Your description should include the terms oxidative, glycoytic, mitochondria, and a discussion of the fuel sources for each.

Now let’s take a moment to make sort of a ‘false comparison’.   When we work out, we can deposit both

oxidative and glycolytic muscle, of course.  When you look at these different methods of working your body and building muscle, which sort of exercise (the sprinter or the marathon runner) do you think provides the most overall benefit to organs, tissues, protection from disease and injury?  Why?

Now we will take a step back and work on the other assignments posted online that will help you work through the information presented on the rest of the slides for this lecture.

Make sure to comment on 3 other student posts for full credit!