The document discusses the dietary management of obesity, defining obesity as the accumulation of excess body fat and outlining its causes, including genetic factors, age, eating habits, physical activity, and stress. It emphasizes the importance of a low-calorie diet, physical exercise, and lifestyle changes in the treatment and prevention of obesity, detailing dietary guidelines that promote the consumption of whole foods while avoiding processed and high-fat items. Ultimately, it concludes that managing obesity requires a holistic approach that combines diet, exercise, and behavioral modifications.

1. Dietary Management of
Obesity
S.BALASARASWATHI
M.Sc.,M.Phil.,MCA.,PGDCA.,PGDDP.ED,
Assisstant Professor of Home Science,
V.V.Vanniaperumal College for Women,
Virudhunagar.

2. Definition
Overweight- It is a condition where the body
weight is 10-20 per cent greater than the mean
standard weight for age, height and sex.
Obesity-It is generalised accumulation of
excess adipose tissue in the body leading to
more than 20 per cent of the desirable weight.

3. Aetiology of Obesity
 Genetic Factors
 Age and Sex
 Eating Habits
 Physical Activity
 Stress
 Endocrine Factors
 Trauma
 Prosperity and Civilisation

4. Genetic Factors
 Genetic inheritance probably influences 50-70 per
cent a person’s chance of becoming fat more than
any other factors.
 Within the families the chances is 80 per cent if both
parents are obese and 50 per cent if one parent is
obese.
 Many genes play a role in
• Energy Homeostasis-UCP1,UCP2,UCP3
• Food Intake requlation-MC3R,MC4R,CCKAR
• Appetite-NPYRS and
• Ultimately obesity-ASIP,CPE,LEP,LEPR,TUB,POMC
in mammals.

5. Age and Sex
• It can occur at any age in either sex as long as
the person is under positive energy balance.
• Studies conducted at NFI have shown more
females than males are found to be over weight
among all age groups.
• Hormonal predisposition put women at higher
risk of obesity when compared to men.

6. Eating Habits
 Nibbling between meals
 Eat food faster and taking less time for
chewing.
 Obese responds to external cues to eat
rather than internal hunger signals.
 House wife who are fond of cooking
variety of foods or persons who are
working in the kitchen may become
obese.
 Business executives who frequently
attend business lunches have more
chance of becoming obese.

7. Cont….
 Housewives who do not want leftover
foods to be thrown out may consume
forcibly and put on weight.
 People who eat outside home more
frequently are prone to obesity.
 People who eat more junk food may
become obese.
 Certain cultural practices like making and
distributing sweets on festive occasions
contribute to increased calorie
consumption.

8. Cont….
 Non-inclusion of fruits and vegetables
and non-vegetarian favour weight gain.
 People who like to eat processed,
concentrated and high fat food are
susceptible to obesity.
 Some may eat more food when they are
unhappy as a compensation mechanism.
 Consumption of sugar added beverages
may contribute to weight gain.
 Personnel who work in different shifts,
whose body clock is disturbed, may over
eat.

9. Physical Activity
 Obesity is found in persons who lead
sedentary lives and pay less
importance to physical activity.

10. Stress
 Food is one of the many stimulant of
endorphin, ‘feel good’ nerotransmitter.
 Self gratification, self punishment,
depression, anxiety and stress may
lead to excess calorie intake.

11. Endocrine Factors
 Hypothyroidism
 Hypogonodism and cushing’s
syndrome.
 Puberty
 Pregnancy
 Menopuse

12. Trauma
 Obesity may fellow due to
hypothalamus after head injury
because it is not able to requlate
appetite or satiety

13. Prosperity and Civilisation
 Obesity is common in prosperous
countries like UK,USSR and USA and
among people from higher
socioeconomic status of developing
countries, since they have the
purchasing power and availability of
surplus food.

14. Assessment of Obesity
 WHO classification of obesity
BMI = weight(kg)/height(m)2

15. Waist Circumference
 It is the most practical tool a clinician
can use to evaluate a patient’s
abdominal fat and during weight loss
treatment.
 High risk waist circumference:
 Men: >40 inches (>102cm)
 Women:>35 inches ( >88cm)

16. Broka’s Index
 The formula for broka’s index is
Height (cm) -100 = Ideal Body weight(
Kg)

17. Complications of Obesity
 Metabolic disorders- Diabetes
 Cardiovascular disorders-Atherosclerosis,
Bp, Varicose veins.
 Sleep Apnea
 Prone to accidents
 Gastrointestinal disturbance
 Osteoarthritis
 Obsterical risks
 Psychological disturbances
 Low life expectancy
 Cancer- colon, rectum and prostate in men:
uterus, biliary tract, breast and ovary in
women

18. Treatment
Diet Therapy
Physical Exercise
Stress Management
Pharmaco Therapy
Weight Loss Surgery

19. Principle of dietetic
Management
Low calorie
Normal Protein, Vitamins and Minerals
(except sodium)
Restricted carbohydrates and fat
Liberal fluid
High fibre

20. Energy
 To loose weight, energy output must
exceed energy output. The person has to
be in negative energy balance.
 Sedentary worker-20 kcal/kg IBW
 Moderately active worker-25/kg IBW
 Heavy worker- 30/kg IBW
RDA for Normal Men
Women
SW 2320 Kcal 1900Kcal
MW 2730 Kcal 2230Kcal
HW 3490 Kcal 2850Kcal

21. Protein
 0.8-1 g of protein/ kg of body weight is
prescribed for tissue repair and for
specific dynamic action.

22. Carbohydrates
 Determine the number of grams of carbs
one need each day by calculating 45 to
65 percent of your total calorie intake,
and dividing by 4.
 For example, if one eat a 2,000-calorie
diet, shoot for 225 to 325 grams of carbs
per day.
 One eat 2,500 calories a day, aim for
281 to 406 grams of carbs.
 Adults who drop their intake to 1,200
calories a day for weight loss need about
50 percent of their calories from carbs, or
150 grams per day.

23. Fat
 10 percent of calories from fat, with most
fats coming from sources of
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and
vegetable oils.
 When selecting and preparing meat,
poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk
products, make choices that are lean,
low-fat, or fat-free.
 Limit intake of fats and oils high in
saturated and/or trans fatty acids, and
choose products low in such fats and

24. Vitamins
 With prolonged restriction of fats,
there is to be a restriction of fat
soluble vitamins and D which may be
supplemented.

25. Minerals
 Restriction of sodium as common salt
is helpful in weight reducing diet as
excess sodium predisposes to
retention of fluid.

26. Fluid
 Fluid can be taken liberally as extra
fluids are excreted by healthy kidneys.
 A glass of water before meals helps to
cut down food intake.

27. Fiber
High fiber diet advantages
 Low in calorie density
 Provides more vitamins and minerals
 Give satiety
 Help in regulating bowel movement
 Reduce blood cholesterol
 Promote chewing and decrease rate
of ingestion.

28. DIETARY GUIDELINES
 Modification of normal diet is the best way of
reducing weight.
 The diet should consist of all 5 food groups.
 Water can be consumed in unlimited
quantity.
 Carbonated and sweetened beverages
should be avoided.
 Unsweetened beverages like buttermilk can
potentiate the satiating property, supress
appetite and control food intake.
 Foods giving empty calories should be
avoided.

29. Cont…
Red meat should be avoided. Fish can
be included in the diet. Restricted
amount of eggs can be included.
Skimmed milk should be used in the diet,
Cheese can be sparingly used.
Colourful fruits and vegetables and
green leafy vegetables should be
included in the diet.
Diet should be rich in fibre. Diet should
include whole grains, sprouted
grams, unprocessed foods, and natural
foods in raw form.

30. Cont…
The diet should be low in fat. No
saturated and Trans fatty acids
should be included in the diet.
Junk foods like pizzas, chips and
French fries should be strictly
avoided.
Foods naturally rich in oils like nuts
should be taken in restricted
amounts.
The diet should be low in sugar.
Sweets, cakes and chocolates

31. Cont….
Methods of cooking should be modified.
Boiling, steaming, pressure cooking
and simmering with no additional fat
should be the methods of cooking.
To reduce the intake of food, serving size
can be reduced. Small size plates
and ladles can be used.
Meals should not be skipped. Feasting
should be avoided.
Small frequent feedings are
recommended.
Even low calorie foods should not be
taken in unlimited amounts.

32. Conclusion
“Obesity cannot be prevented or
managed solely by diet alone. Behavioral
changes, physical exercise, stress
management must be practiced together
so that the person is less conducive to
weight gain”