Weight Loss Glossary
Most encountered weight loss related terms and their definitions:
Adipose Tissue
The fat tissue in the body. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat. The adipose tissue also plays an endocrine role, by producing hormones. Adipose tissue is located beneath the skin (forming the subcutaneous fat), and around internal organs (forming what is called visceral fat).
Atkins diet
A protein-rich, high fat, low-carbohydrate weight loss diet named after its initiator, Dr. Robert C. Atkins. Characteristics: protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs and cheese are allowed in any quantity, while carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables are dramatically restricted. The Atkins diet is based on the theory that eating carbohydrates stimulates the production of insulin, which in turn leads to hunger, eating, and weight gain. Conversely, people on the Atkins diet experience an appetite decrease, thus eating less than their body needs for functioning. In such cases, the body uses stored fat for energy instead of consuming the glucose resulted from carbohydrates assimilation. This way, weight loss is a result of burning the fats and diminishing the adipose tissue.
Bariatric Surgery
This term defines all types of surgical procedures which have the goals of helping people lose weight. It is synonymous with weight loss surgery. Its purpose is to treat obesity by modifying the gastrointestinal tract in such a way that ingestion of foods is limited, leading to a limited intake of nutrients, thus to weight loss. Bariatric surgery comprises a high level of risk, therefore obese patients are thoroughly investigated before being accepted into this severe weight loss program.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The body mass index (or the Quetelet index) is a measure of body weight in relation to the person’s height. BMI can be used to determine if people are at a healthy weight, overweight, underweight or obese. The Body Mass Index can be calculated with the following formulas:
BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (cm) x Height (cm)]
BMI = Weight (pounds) x 703 / [Height (Inches) x Height (Inches)]
A body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25 refers to a healthy weight, a BMI between 25 and 30 refers to overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher refers to obese. However, this is a statistical index, which means that it has a meaning only when talking about, for example, the population of a country. BMI should not be used for diagnosing individuals.
