Body Weight and Body Mass Size
Body Weight & Body Mass Size
Whereas there is no theoretical upper limit to body weight in humans,
there is probably a limit to lean body mass size, as there is for stature,
that may be indicated as 100 kg for men and 70 kg for women. The more
the weight increases and the lean body mass approaches that limit the
smaller is its increase in proportion to body weight increase, and thus
the composition of weight gain or loss varies according to the starting
body weight. Consequently, the weight gained or lost by a heavier individual,
containing less lean body mass, consumes less and costs or yields more
in comparison with the same weight gained or lost by a lighter individual.
Weight Loss & Gain
Therefore, a heavier person, for the same energy intake variation, gains
or loses more weight and in a longer time than a lighter person. To give
an example, one kilogram of weight gained or lost by a very lean person,
composed of 50 percent lean body mass, consumes about 22.5 Cal/day and
costs or yields about 6,000 or 4,000 Calories, whereas one kilogram gained
or lost by a person so heavy that the percentage of lean body mass in
his/her weight variation can be considered negligible consumes about 5
Cal/day and costs or yields about 10,000 or 7,500 Calories, respectively.
A permanent change in energy intake of 100 Cal/day would cause the first
person to gain or lose 4.5 kilograms in about 2.5 or 1.8 years, while
the second person would gain or lose as much as 20 kilograms, even if
in about 19 or 14 years, respectively.
Source: International Federation for the
Surgery of Obesity. Nicola Scopinaro, M.D.Professor of Surgery (Honorary
President of IFSO) , University of Genoa Medical School. www.obesity-online.com
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