ABDOMINAL FAT
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Fat (adipose tissue) that is centrally distributed between the thorax and pelvis and that induces greater health risk.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about “abdominal fat” we mean the fat that is located on the abdomen of the body. But abdominal fat mean mores than its location – it also means what KIND of fat. Abdominal fat is linked to greater health risks, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The fat in the abdomen is often around the organs, and tends to be more dangerous than the fat that is located on the thighs or buttocks.

ABSOLUTE RISK
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. The observed or calculated probability of an event in a population under study, as contrasted with the relative risk.

WARM Explanation: When you hear people talk about “absolute risk,” they mean the probability that something will happen to someone. The absolute risk is determined by studies. An example would be the absolute risk of heart disease occurring in people who live in New York City.

AEROBIC
Dictionary Definition:  adj. Living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen.
 
WARM Explanation:  The adjective aerobic always describes something having to do with air.  When we talk about AEROBIC EXERCISE or simply AEROBICS we’re talking about the kind of physical conditioning that will make you breathe harder and strengthen your lungs. 

AGE-ADJUSTED
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Summary measures of rates of morbidity or mortality in a population using statistical procedures to remove the effect of age differences in populations that are being compared.  Age is probably the most important and the most common variable in determining the risk of morbidity and mortality.

WARM Explanation: Sometimes when people study how much disease or death there is in a population, they must “age-adjust” the data (or information) that they collect. This is important if a scientist is comparing something like the number of deaths in a retirement town, with the number of deaths in a community with lots of families with school-aged children. The scientist must “age-adjust” the results to compensate for the fact that older people are more likely to die than younger people.

AMINO ACIDS 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. An organic compound containing both an amino group (NH2) and a carboxylic acid group (COOH) 2. A compound of the form NH2CHRCOOH found as essential components of the protein molecule.

WARM Explanation: Amino Acids are the building blocks that make up protein.  Our bodies need Amino Acids- which are either produced by our own living cells or ingested in the food we eat.  

ANOREXIA 
Dictionary Definition: n. Loss of appetite, especially as a result of disease. 

WARM Explanation: When most people say “Anorexia” what they are really talking about is ANOREXIA NERVOSA, which is an eating disorder in which a person becomes psychologically (in their mind) averse to eating food and gaining weight.  When a person has it they will often refuse to eat completely while their bodies deteriorate.  It’s a serious and possibly fatal disease which affects mainly young women.  For more, go to Anorexia Nervosa.

ANOREXIANT
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A drug, process, or event that leads to anorexia.

WARM Explanation: An “anorexiant” is anything that causes a person to develop anorexia. It might be the death of a loved one, a long illness, or any number of other things.

APPETITE
Dictionary Definition:  n. 1.  A desire for food or drink.  2. A physical desire.  3. A strong wish or urge. 

WARM Explanation:  When we talk about appetite and food we’re usually referring to the amount of food that we can eat at any given time.  (“I have a HUGE appetite!”).  It can also refer to the physical urge that drives you to eat more.

APPETITE SUPPRESSANT
Dictionary Definition: n. A natural food or a drug manufactured to restrain your appetite (see Appetite)
 
WARM Explanation:  These substances (usually drugs) are generally aimed at people trying to lose weight by eating less.  They do have some other medicinal purposes but when used as diet pills can be dangerous.  When you use an appetite suppressant, your body no longer tells you when you are hungry or thirsty so that it is easy to become faint and malnourished. 

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BARIATRIC SURGERY
National Institutes of Health (of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) Definition: n. Surgery on the stomach and/or intestines to help the patient with extreme obesity lose weight. Bariatric surgery is a weight-loss method used for people who have a body mass index (BMI) above 40. Surgery may also be an option for people with a BMI between 35 and 40 who have health problems like heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

WARM Explanation: Bariatric surgery (also called Gastrointestinal Surgery) is not the “quick fix” to lose a few extra pounds. Like any other surgery, there are many risks involved. Only people with severe obesity problems are able to have this surgery performed. Some forms of this surgery, such as having one’s stomach “stapled,” limit the amount of food the patient can eat in one sitting.

BASAL METABOLISM 
Dictionary Definition: n. The least amount of energy required to maintain vital functions in an organism at complete rest. 

WARM Explanation: More simply, this refers to the very least amount energy that you need to intake (through food and drink) in order for your body to stay alive.  Anything less than the basal metabolism and your organs will not have enough energy to work.  This relates also to your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) - the rate of energy used to keep the organs running when the body is at complete rest. 

BCA (BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS) 
Dictionary Definition: n. An analysis of the ratio of fat to muscle mass, usually involving the use of calipers and in some cases being weighed while suspended in water.

WARM Explanation:  A BCA is one of a variety of tests that you can take to determine what percentage of your body is fat and what percentage is lean body tissue- or muscle.  For some people (especially athletes and those who have a lot of muscle) this is a more accurate reflection of your fitness than the BMI scale. 

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. The changing of behavior by the manipulation of cues and environment factors that trigger behavior 2. The changing of behavior itself.

WARM Explanation:  Behavior modification, in relation to eating anyway, is used for those people who have trouble controlling their eating on their own.  Many people eat when the are bored, stressed out, sad, etc. and behavior modification attempts to find these triggers- the things that make you eat when you’re not hungry- and come up with alternative ways to deal with them.  The hope is that your whole eating style will change.

BEHAVIOR THERAPY
Dictionary Definition: n. Psychotherapy that emphasizes the application of the principles of learning to substitute desirable responses and behavior patterns for undesirable ones -- called also behavior modification

WARM Explanation: When you hear the term “behavior therapy” while talking about diet or food, it has a more specific meaning than you find in the dictionary. Behavior therapy is often used to help people who have trouble controlling their weight. Sometimes we eat more because we’re stressed out or angry. This kind of therapy tries to change behavior like that. For example, in behavior therapy a person might be encouraged to go on a walk when he or she is mad, instead of eating ice cream.

BILIOPANCREATIC DIVERSION
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A surgical procedure for weight loss that combines a modest amount of gastric restriction with intestinal malabsorption.

WARM Explanation: A “biliopancreatic diversion” is a kind of surgery that is sometimes used when a person is morbidly obese and has not been able to lose weight in other ways. A doctor makes the patient’s stomach smaller by actually removing part of the stomach. This is done so that he or she feels full after eating less food. Then the doctor makes the small intestine route shorter (your small intestine is where your body absorbs the nutrients from the foods you eat). This way, less food enters the stomach and fewer nutrients are absorbed because the intestines are smaller. After this surgery the majority of patients lose most of their excess weight within 2 years.

BINGE
Dictionary Definition: n. A period of uncontrolled self-indulgence. 

WARM Explanation: A food binge is when a person eats and eats, beyond the point of reason.   People who binge often claim that the eating is out of their control and they are unable to stop.  Chronic food binging is a dangerous eating disorder.  For more, go to Binge Eating Disorder.  Binging also plays a large part in the eating disorder Bulimia Nervosa.

BLOOD PRESSURE 
Dictionary Definition: n. The pressure of the blood within the arteries, primarily maintained by contraction of the left ventricle. 

WARM Explanation:  Each time the heart beats it pumps blood into the arteries.
The force of this pumping blood is what we measure when we talk about “taking your blood pressure.”  It’s important to keep good track of your blood pressure because any changes signify that there may be something wrong with your heart.  Our diets directly affect our blood pressure. 

BLOOD SUGAR  Another name for glucose. 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. The glucose in the blood 2. The concentration (as in milligrams per 100 milliliters) of glucose in the blood. 
   
WARM Explanation:  Blood Sugar is just what it sounds like- the amount of sugar (also called glucose) in your blood.  When your blood sugar levels get high, you run the risk of becoming diabetic.  For people who already have diabetes, monitoring your blood sugar is an important part of staying healthy.

BMI (BODY MASS INDEX) 
Dictionary Definition: n.  An index of a person's weight in relation to height, determined by dividing the weight by the square of the height.

WARM Explanation: BMI is quickly replacing “weight” as the way to measure a person’s fitness and health level.  Simple scales that measure pounds don’t always gave an accurate measurement of your health.  Muscle weighs more than fat; women and men will have different healthy weight standards; and people of different heights should be considered differently.  The BMI combines weight and height (and sometimes age) in order to give you a better idea of where you fall compared to where you should be. 

BODY COMPOSITION
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. The ratio of lean body mass (structural and functional elements in cells, body water, muscle, bone, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.) to body fat (essential and storage) mass. Essential fat is necessary for normal physiological functioning (e.g., nerve conduction). Storage fat constitutes the body's fat reserves, the part that people try to lose.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about body composition, we are talking about the ratio of lean body mass to body fat. It’s basically a way of telling how much fat your body has, which is a better way to monitor your body’s health than by weighing yourself.

BRL 26830A
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. An atypical B adrenoreceptor agonist drug that in obese rodents showed an increased metabolic rate and caused a reduction in weight by decreasing body lipid content. It is not approved as a weight loss drug by FDA.

WARM Explanation: This is a drug that was tested on rats as a weight loss drug. The drug sped up the rats’ metabolisms, and burned off fat. Although it seemed to work on the rats, the Food and Drug Administration has NOT approved this drug for human use.

BULIMIA 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. an abnormal and constant craving for food
2. a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression.
 
WARM Explanation: A person suffering from Bulimia Nervosa is most often trapped in a secretive cycle of bingeing and purging. This involves eating mass amounts of food, then engaging in compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, or ingesting laxatives or diuretics to eliminate the excessive calories taken in. Bulimics suffer from several medical consequences due to the binge-purge cycle involved in the disorder. These patterns affect the entire digestive system, and can lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances. To learn more, go to Bulimia Nervosa.

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CAFFEINE 
Dictionary Definition: n. A bitter white alkaloid found in coffee, tea, and kola nuts and used as a stimulant and diuretic.

WARM Explanation: Simply put, caffeine is an addictive drug.  It is a chemical compound, and is a central nervous system stimulant.  What this means is that it makes your heart beat faster.  It enters your bloodstream in less than 15 minutes through your stomach, and can cause your blood vessels to constrict.  Caffeine stimulates the brain the same way amphetamines, cocaine and heroin do, although at a more minor level.  (To learn more, go to Caffeine.  

CALIPERS 
Dictionary Definition: n. An instrument consisting essentially of two curved hinged legs and used to measure internal and external dimensions. 

WARM Explanation: Why is a measuring instrument like calipers on this list?  Because they are also used in some BCAs to measure your skinfold thickness.  Measuring your skinfold helps to determine what percentage of your body is fat and what percentage is lean muscle.

CALORIE 
Dictionary Definition: n. Any of several approximately equal units of heat, each measured as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1degree C from a standard initial temperature. 

WARM Explanation: When we talk about calories, we’re talking about how we measure the energy we obtain from food. How many calories we eat per day is a way of identifying how much energy we take in. Having a standard unit (the calorie) is helpful in figuring out how much energy we need from food compared to how much we usually eat.

CARBOHYDRATE 
Dictionary Definition: n. Any of various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (as sugars, starches, and celluloses) most of which are formed by green plants and which constitute a major class of animal foods.

WARM Explanation: Carbohydrates are one form of food that we eat. Simple carbohydrates (such as sugar) and complex carbohydrates (such as starches and cellulose) are part of our diets. When you eat a cookie or a piece of bread, you are eating carbohydrates.

CARDIOPULMONARY
Dictionary Definition: adj. of or relating to the heart and lungs.

WARM Explanation: CARDIO has to do with your heart. PULMONARY means your lungs. So the word CARDIOPULMONARY means that something has to do with your heart and lungs.

CARDIOVASCULAR
Dictionary Definition: adj. Of, relating to, or involving the heart and blood vessels.

WARM Explanation: You probably hear the word “cardiovascular” in terms like CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM, and CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH. This word means the system in your body made up by your heart and blood vessels. Your cardiovascular system supplies your body with oxygen (which is in the blood your heart pumps through your body). Your body needs oxygen to survive.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Any abnormal condition characterized by dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels. CVD includes atherosclerosis (especially coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks), cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke), and hypertension (high blood pressure).

WARM Explanation: Cardiovascular means your blood vessels and heart. A cardiovascular disease affects your heart and/or blood vessels. Many cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease, are linked to obesity.

CELLULOSE 
Dictionary Definition: n. A polysaccharide (C6H10O5)x of glucose units that constitutes the chief part of the cell walls of plants, occurs naturally in such fibrous products as cotton and kapok, and is the raw material of many manufactured goods (as paper, rayon, and cellophane).

WARM Explanation: Cellulose is the part of plants that humans cannot digest. You might think of cellulose as fiber. Many grazing animals (such as cows) can digest cellulose.

CENTRAL FAT DISTRIBUTION
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. The waist circumference is an index of body fat distribution. Increasing waist circumference is accompanied by increasing frequencies of overt type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and early mortality. In the body fat patterns called android type (apple shaped) fat is deposited around the waist and upper abdominal area and appears most often in men. Abdominal body fat is thought to be associated with a rapid mobilization of fatty acids rather than resulting from other fat depots, although it remains a point of contention. If abdominal fat is indeed more active than other fat depots, it would then provide a mechanism by which we could explain (in part) the increase in blood lipid and glucose levels. The latter have been clearly associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. The gynoid type (pear-shaped) of body fat is usually seen in women. The fat is deposited around the hips, thighs, and buttocks, and presumably is used as energy reserve during pregnancy and lactation.

WARM Explanation: Central fat distribution has a lot to do with abdominal fat. Where fat is located on our bodies tends to determine the health risks associated with it. People with more fat on their abdomens (as opposed to on the thighs, for instance) are more likely to suffer from diseases like hypertension.

CHOLECYSTECTOMY
Dictionary Definition: n. Surgical excision of the gallbladder.

WARM Explanation: A cholecystectomy is a type of surgery. The purpose of this surgery is to remove the gallbladder. The surgery is performed for various reasons, such as when a patient has high blood pressure in the liver, bleeding disorders, or cholecystitis.

CHOLECYSTITIS
Dictionary Definition: n. Inflammation of the gallbladder.

WARM explanation: This condition occurs when a person’s gallbladder is inflamed. The inflammation is usually a result of gallstones.

CHOLESTEROL 
Dictionary Definition: n. A steroid alcohol C27H45OH that is present in animal cells and body fluids, regulates membrane fluidity, and functions as a precursor molecule in various metabolic pathways and as a constituent of LDL may cause arteriosclerosis.

WARM Explanation: Usually when you hear people talking about cholesterol, it sounds like a bad thing: “My cholesterol is too high.” But there are good and bad types of cholesterol, as we humans need some cholesterol in order to carry out different functions (such as building cell membranes). Too much cholesterol can be unhealthy, since it clogs up arteries.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A system of psychotherapy based on the premise that distorted or dysfunctional thinking, which influences a person's mood or behavior, is common to all psychosocial problems. The focus of therapy is to identify the distorted thinking and to replace it with more rational, adaptive thoughts and beliefs.

WARM Explanation: This type of therapy is used to change unhealthy behavior. The goal of therapy is to replace irrational or destructive thinking with healthier thoughts. Cognitive behavior therapy is often used to help people with anorexia.

COGNITIVE REHEARSAL
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A technique used in cognitive behavior therapy. In a weight loss program, for example, individuals first imagine the situation that is causing temptation (such as eating a high fat food), describe the thoughts and feelings that accompany the imagined situation, and make positive self-statements about the situation (e.g., "I am feeling good about choosing a low calorie drink rather than the high fat cheese.").  Then the next step is to follow the positive self-statement with an adaptive behavior (such as walking away from the buffet line to chat with a friend). Finally, individuals are encouraged to reward themselves for doing well in a difficult situation, with either positive statements or material rewards, or both. The idea is to rehearse one's thoughts and behaviors prior to experiencing the potentially difficult situation, and to be armed with healthy adaptive responses.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about “cognitive rehearsal,” we mean a type of therapy that is often used to help people with weight problems. In this therapy a person learns to envision him or herself making healthy food decisions. The goal is for these “imaginings” to work themselves into the person’s real behavior. 

COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A method of identifying and replacing fear-promoting, irrational beliefs with more realistic and functional ones. 

WARM Explanation: You might hear the term “cognitive restructuring” in discussions on therapy. This is strategy used to replace “bad” beliefs with “good” ones. Sometimes people latch onto ideas that just don’t make sense when looked at rationally. Sometimes these ideas lead to unhealthy behavior or moods. Cognitive restructuring is useful to replace those unhealthy ideas with more rational and healthy ones.

COMORBIDITY
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Two or more diseases or conditions existing together in an individual.

WARM Explanation: The word “morbidity” has to do with disease. So “comorbidity” just means that a person has at least two different diseases.

COMPLETE PROTEINS 
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. If the protein in a food supplies enough of the essential amino acids, it is called a complete protein. If the protein of a food does not supply all the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.

WARM Explanation: Complete proteins are just that – complete in themselves without other sources of proteins. If you only ate foods containing complete proteins, you wouldn’t have to worry about varying your diet to get all the different kinds of proteins that your body needs to grow.

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANS
Dictionary Definition for “Computed Tomography”: n. Radiography in which a three-dimensional image of a body structure is constructed by computer from a series of plane cross-sectional images made along an axis.

WARM Explanation: This type of scanning is often used to see where fat is being stored up in the body. CT scans can tell a doctor how much fat tissue a patient has, and where it is located in the body. CTs scans are accurate because they are sensitive enough to tell the difference between fats and organs.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. Coronary heart disease (or coronary artery disease) is a narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart (coronary arteries). Coronary disease usually results from the build up of fatty material and plaque (atherosclerosis). As the coronary arteries narrow, the flow of blood to the heart can slow or stop. The disease can cause chest pain (stable angina), shortness of breath, heart attack, or other symptoms.

WARM Explanation: Coronary heart disease affects how your heart receives what it needs to keep your body running. If someone has this disease, it means that the coronary blood vessels (which are blood vessels that bring blood to the heart) are blocked.

COUNSELING 
Dictionary Definition: n. professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about getting counseling, we mean that we want the help of a professional in sorting out our problems or concerns. Counseling gives a person the chance to talk to someone about their problems, and gain insight on how to deal with them.

CUE AVOIDANCE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A stimulus control technique often used in weight loss programs in which individuals are asked to reduce their exposure to certain food cues by making a variety of changes in their habits. The rationale is to make it easier on oneself and reduce temptation by reducing contact with food cues. For example, coming home from work and feeling tired is a time when many people reach for the high fat foods if they are available. By not having the high fat foods within reach, one can avoid eating them.

WARM Explanation: The idea of “cue avoidance” is useful for people trying to lose weight. It is a way of changing one’s behavior in order to eat better. A person using cue avoidance techniques will examine his or her daily eating habits, and find out where the trouble lies. Then the person can find ways to change that behavior by making it harder to follow those old habits.

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DAILY VALUE (DV) 
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n The amounts of vitamins and minerals are listed as a Percent Daily Value on the nutrition label. The Percent Daily Value for vitamins and minerals gives a general idea of how much of a vitamin or mineral a serving contributes to the total daily diet. For example, if the Percent Daily Value for Vitamin C of all the foods you eat in a day adds up to 100%, your diet meets the recommendation for Vitamin C.

WARM Explanation: When you look on the side of a box of cereal (or any other packaged food product), you’ll see the Daily Value listings of nutrients. The Daily Values are set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These will tell you what percent of sugar, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, etc., you will consume by eating one serving size of the food. These percents are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The DVs are used to give you an idea of what you’re eating and how it fits into a healthy diet.

DEHYDRATED or DEHYDRATE 
Dictionary Definition: v. 1 a. To remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water b. To remove water from (as foods). 2. To deprive of vitality or savor

WARM Explanation: When someone is dehydrated, it means that his or her body does not have the liquid (water) it needs to function properly. Drinking eight cups of fluid per day is important to keep your body from becoming dehydrated.

DIABETES TYPE 1 
Dictionary Definition: n. A form of diabetes mellitus that usually develops during childhood or adolescence and is characterized by a severe deficiency in insulin secretion resulting from atrophy of the islets of Langerhans and causing hyperglycemia and a marked tendency towards ketoacidosis -- called also insulin-dependent diabetes, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

WARM Explanation: Type 1 Diabetes is a condition that strikes in childhood. When a child cannot produce insulin, he or she has Type 1 Diabetes. Without insulin, the body is not able to process blood sugar (which we need for energy).

DIABETES TYPE 2 
Dictionary Definition: n. A common form of diabetes mellitus that develops especially in adults and most often in obese individuals and that is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from impaired insulin utilization coupled with the body's inability to compensate with increased insulin production -- called also non-insulin-dependent diabetes, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

WARM Explanation: Type 2 Diabetes affects adults, usually adults who are overweight. It’s basically caused when the body cannot produce enough insulin to process blood sugar.

DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. The minimum pressure that remains within the artery when the heart is at rest.

WARM Explanation: When you have your blood pressure taken, you will notice that there are two numbers involved. The lower number is your DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. This is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is “between beats.” In other words, it is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is NOT pumping blood into them.

DIET 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1 a . Food and drink regularly provided or consumed b. Habitual nourishment c. The kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason. 2. Something provided especially habitually.

WARM Explanation: A diet is not necessarily something that someone follows when they are trying to lose weight. A diet is any habit or plan of what to eat.  You might be on a diet of lean meat, green veggies, whole grain bread, and limited sweets and fats in order to stay healthy.

DIGESTION 
Dictionary Definition: n. The action, process, or power of digesting. The process of making food absorbable by dissolving it and breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds that occurs in the living body chiefly through the action of enzymes secreted into the alimentary canal.

WARM Explanation: Digestion is the process of turning what you eat into energy and nutrients your body needs. The food you eat is broken down and absorbed into your body.

DIURETICS 
Dictionary Definition: adj. Tending to increase the flow of urine.

WARM Explanation: Diuretics is also a noun. Something that is a diuretic causes your body to lose water. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol are both diuretics, meaning that they cause your body to lose water overall (even though you are drinking these substances to begin with so it may seem that you are giving your body more water).

DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORTIOMETRY (DEXA)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A method used to estimate total body fat and percent of body fat. Potential disadvantages include whole body radiation and the long time required for scanning while the subject lies on a hard table.

WARM Definition: This is a kind of x-ray that a doctor might use to figure out how much body fat a patient has. Although this is not the most preferable method, it is an accurate way to find out what percent of the body is fat tissue.

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EFFICACY
Dictionary Definition: n. The power to produce an effect.

WARM Explanation: When we use the word “efficacy” while talking about diet and exercise, we’re talking about how well a procedure or method works. Usually the efficacy of something is found by testing how well it works under the best possible conditions.

ELECTROLYTES 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. A nonmetallic electric conductor in which current is carried by the movement of ions. 2.  A substance that when dissolved in a suitable solvent or when fused becomes an ionic conductor

WARM Explanation: Electrolytes are elements (such as calcium and sodium) that your body needs in order to function. These elements are electrically charged (meaning that they have a negative or positive electrical charge). Electrolytes have various functions, such as helping water to pass between cells and keeping your body at the right pH level. Basically, they keep your body balanced.

ENERGY 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1 a. Dynamic quality b. The capacity of acting or being active 2. Vigorous exertion of power 3. The capacity for doing work. 4. Usable power (as heat or electricity).

WARM Explanation: Energy is what your body gains from eating food. Energy is what keeps your heart beating, your limbs moving, and your mind thinking.

ENERGY BALANCE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Energy is the capacity of a body or a physical system for doing work. Energy balance is the state in which the total energy intake equals total energy needs.

WARM Explanation: When your body has reached an ENERGY BALANCE, it means that you are taking in the perfect amount of energy for your body’s needs. This means that if your body is in a state of energy balance, you should not lose or gain any weight.

ENERGY DEFICIT
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A state in which total energy intake is less than total energy need.

WARM Explanation: If your body is in a state of ENERGY DEFICIT, it means that you are eating less than your body needs to run properly. This means that you will probably lose weight, as your body must start to use stored energy (stored energy usually means fat in this case, since that is the form in which our bodies store energy).

ENERGY METABOLISM 
Dictionary Definition of “Metabolism”: n. 1 a. The sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated b. The sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body c. The sum of the metabolic activities taking place in a particular environment.

WARM Explanation: Energy metabolism is basically how your body gains, stores, and uses the energy you consume through food. Your body is designed to efficiently use the energy you get from food to run all the physical processes that keep you alive and well.

ENRICHMENT 
Dictionary Definition of “Enrich”: v. 1. To make rich or richer especially by the addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.

WARM Explanation: When you see the word “enriched” on a food’s packaging, it means that nutrients have been added. Sometimes food loses nutrients when it is being processed, so it is necessary to add something (such as vitamins or minerals). For example, milk is often enriched with vitamin A, meaning that the vitamin has been added to the milk.

ENZYME
Dictionary Definition: n. Any of numerous complex proteins that are produced by living cells and catalyze specific biochemical reactions at body temperatures.

WARM Explanation: Enzymes are proteins that your body uses to keep your body running. Enzymes are what get a process started, they are not what your body actually “burns” to create energy. It is important to eat a variety of protein-rich foods, so that you will have all the building blocks necessary for your body to produce the enzymes it needs to function properly.

EPHEDRINE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A sympathomimetic drug that stimulates thermogenesis in laboratory animals and humans. Animal studies show that it may reduce fat content and, therefore, body weight by mechanisms that probably involve increased expenditure and reduced food intake.

WARM Explanation: This is a type of drug that has caused weight loss in animals. The drug seems to make animals burn more energy and eat less. This can lead to weight loss since the body must use more of its stored energy (fat) to run itself.

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS 
Dictionary Definition of “Essential”: adj. 2. Of the utmost importance.

WARM Explanation: In order to grow and stay healthy, your body needs 20 different kinds of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Some of these amino acids your body can make in large enough amounts that your body does not need any more from the food you eat. But some amino acids your body has trouble making. These amino acids are “essential amino acids” which you must take into your body through food.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS 
WebMD Health Definition: n. The body can manufacture all of the fatty acids it needs except for the essential fatty acids (efas). There are two EFAs: linoleic acid and linolenic acid…Since the body cannot manufacture EFAs, they must be obtained from the diet.

WARM Explanation: Your body needs some types of fats, such as fatty acids. Most fatty acids that your body needs, it can produce on its own from the food you eat. But some fatty acids you need to provide your body with, because your body is not able to produce them on its own. These are called essential fatty acids.

EXCHANGE LISTS 
WebMD Health Definition (from “Food Exchanges” by Mabel Cavaiani in “The New Diabetic Cookbook”: n. “The exchange lists are the basis of a meal planning system designed by a committee of the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association. While designed primarily for people with diabetes and others who must follow special diets, the exchange lists are based on principles of good nutrition that apply to everyone. There are seven basic exchanges with variations in some of the lists. They are starches, fruit, milk, other carbohydrates, vegetables, meats, and fats.”

WARM Explanation: Exchange lists are a way of organizing what you can eat to stay healthy. Foods on the same list have basically the same nutritional value to your body, so you can use one food in place of another.

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FATS 
Dictionary Definition: n. 2b. Any of numerous compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water.

WARM Explanation: Fats are in many foods and are used as “stored energy” in your body. There are good and bad sides to fat. On the one hand, you need some fats (such as essential fatty acids) for your body to function properly, and to absorb some vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, and K). On the other hand, there are other fats that can hurt your body by raising your cholesterol. Too much fat in the diet or eating too much in general (which your body will then convert into fat to store it), can lead to obesity. This is linked with many health problems.

FIBER 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. d. Indigestible material in human food that stimulates the intestine to peristalsis.

WARM Explanation: Fiber is found in many things that we eat, such as vegetables and plant matter in general. Cellulose is a form of fiber. Our bodies cannot break down fiber; it serves as “roughage.” 

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GALLSTONE
Dictionary Definition: n. A calculus formed in the gallbladder or biliary passages

WARM Explanation: Gallstones are collections of things like bile salts and cholesterol that collect in the gallbladder. Because they clump together, these substances cannot move through the bile ducts any longer. Gallstones can cause symptoms like pain and cramping. Risk factors for developing gallstones are: being female, gaining weight or already being overweight, dieting, etc.

GASTRIC BANDING
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Surgery to limit the amount of food the stomach can hold by closing part of it off. A band made of special material is placed around the stomach near its upper end, creating a small pouch and a narrow passage into the larger remainder of the stomach. The small outlet delays the emptying of food from the pouch and causes a feeling of fullness.

WARM Explanation: GASTRIC BANDING is a type of surgery performed to promote weight loss. It is more common in Europe than in the US. This surgery basically makes the stomach smaller by placing a band around the upper portion (think of cinching up a belt). This creates a smaller stomach pouch, which causes the patient to feel full after eating less food.

GASTRIC BUBBLE or BALLOON
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A free-floating intragastric balloon used in the treatment of obesity.

WARM Explanation: Another option for treating obesity is the gastric balloon.  A doctor inserts a sort of “bubble” or balloon into the stomach. This will take up space and cause a person to feel full sooner when eating.

GASTRIC BYBASS
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A surgical procedure that combines the creation of small stomach pouches to restrict food intake and the construction of bypasses of the duodenum and other segments of the small intestine to cause food malabsorption. Patients generally lose two-thirds of their excess weight after 2 years.

WARM Explanation: A gastric bypass is a two-part surgery to fight obesity. First a surgeon makes the stomach smaller, so that the patient feels full after even a very small meal. Second, the surgeon “redirects” the stomach’s contents. Instead of going through all of the small intestine (where nutrients are absorbed from our food), the stomach’s contents only go through one section of the small intestine. This means that the patient’s body receives fewer nutrients (fewer nutrients means less calories, and less fat). Because the patient eats less AND receives fewer nutrients than what is ingested, he or she loses weight.

GASTRIC EXCLUSION 
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Same as gastric partitioning and Roux-en Y bypass. A small stomach pouch is created by stapling or by vertical banding to restrict food intake. A Y-shaped section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the duodenum as well as the first portion of the jejunum.

WARM Explanation: This is another type of surgery used in the fight against obesity. A doctor makes the patient’s stomach smaller, so that he or she feels full after eating less food. Then the doctor makes the small intestine route shorter (your small intestine is where your body absorbs the nutrients from the foods you eat). This way, less food enters the stomach and fewer nutrients are absorbed because the intestines are smaller. After this surgery most patients lose weight.

GASTROPLASTY
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A surgical procedure that limits the amount of food the stomach can hold by closing off part of the stomach. Food intake is restricted by creating a small pouch at the top of the stomach where the food enters from the esophagus. The pouch initially holds about 1 ounce of food and expands to 2-3 ounces with time. The pouch's lower outlet usually has a diameter of about 1/4 inch. The small outlet delays the emptying of food from the pouch and causes a feeling of fullness.

WARM Explanation: This is a surgical procedure used to fight obesity. A surgeon creates a smaller stomach in the patient that can expand a bit over time. Because the stomach holds less, the patient feels full after eating a very small meal. The opening from the new smaller stomach into the intestines is also very small. This causes the feeling of fullness to last longer, because food empties out of the stomach more slowly.

GENOTYPE
Dictionary Definition: n. All or part of the genetic constitution of an individual or group.

WARM Explanation: All living things have genes, which are the “blueprint” for existence. All of your physical characteristics are determined by your genes. The set of genes that define you is called your GENOTYPE.  When used in the diet and obesity discussion, the word genotype is often used to express what is caused by genes (as opposed to what is caused by environment). A person’s genotype can be at least partially responsible for a person’s weight problem.

GLUCOSE
Dictionary Definition: n. An optically active sugar C6H12O6 that has an aldehydic carbonyl group; especially : the sweet colorless soluble dextrorotatory form that occurs widely in nature and is the usual form in which carbohydrate is assimilated by animals.

WARM Explanation: Glucose is also called “blood sugar.” Glucose is a simple sugar, which your body uses for energy. Food (such as complex carbohydrates like starches) is broken down into glucose (a simple carbohydrate). Your circulatory system then circulates the glucose in your blood to parts of your body that need energy. Your brain is one of the biggest consumers of glucose!

GLUCOSE TOLERANCE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. The power of the normal liver to absorb and store large quantities of glucose and the effectiveness of intestinal absorption of glucose. The glucose tolerance test is a metabolic test of carbohydrate tolerance that measures active insulin, a hepatic function based on the ability of the liver to absorb glucose. The test consists of ingesting 100 grams of glucose into a fasting stomach; blood sugar should return to normal in 2 to 21 hours after ingestion.

WARM Explanation: This is a term that refers to how a person’s liver should react to glucose (blood sugar that the body uses for energy). When a person has a glucose tolerance test done, he or she eats a large quantity of glucose. A doctor monitors how the person’s body responds to the glucose. Normally the blood sugar is processed and after an hour the level of glucose drops. If this is not what happens in the test, it can be an indication of diabetes.

GLYCEMIC INDEX
Dictionary Definition of “Glycemic”: adj. the presence of glucose in the blood.

WARM Explanation: Some fad diets, such as the South Beach Diet, focus on the GLYCEMIC INDEX of different foods. The glycemic index of a food is the increase in blood sugar a certain amount (which contains 50 grams of carbohydrates) causes, and in what amount of time. The standard by which all other foods are measured is pure glucose. So the glycemic index of cereal, for example, would be found by comparing how quickly the cereal is digested and turned into what amount of glucose with the effects of pure glucose. Glucose is assigned the index of 100, so everything with an index above 70 is considered high, while everything below 55 is considered low. If you only eat foods with low glycemix indexes, then your blood sugar will never reach really high peaks.

GLYCEMIC LOAD
Dictionary Definition of “Glycemic”: adj. the presence of glucose in the blood.

WARM Explanation: GLYCEMIC LOAD is closely related to the GLYCEMIC INDEX. The glycemic index, which measures the effect of different foods on your blood sugar levels, does not take into account the actual serving sizes of those foods. The glycemic load is designed to help you figure out the effect that a full serving of a food will have on your blood sugar level (how much it will raise your blood sugar and how quickly). This can give you a much more accurate picture, since you will typically eat a serving of a food, not the certain amount that includes 50 grams of carbohydrates (which is the measure for glycemix index). For example, if you look at the glycemic index of a baked potato (85), you may think that eating a baked potato will be in the “danger zone” according to diets like the South Beach Diet. But if you look at the glycemic load (26), a serving size of baked potato is actually within the acceptable range according to that diet.

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HEART RATE
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. The pulse is the number of heartbeats per minute.

WARM Explanation: Your heart rate is your pulse. You can take your pulse by counting how many times your heart beats in one minute. Sometimes a doctor may want to know your heart rate when you are resting (like when you’ve just woken up from sleeping), and when you are exercising. These numbers can give your doctor an idea of your overall heart and cardiovascular health. Using your heart rate and age you can figure out what your target heart rate is for when you are exercising.

HEMOGLOBIN
Dictionary Definition: n. An iron-containing respiratory pigment of vertebrate red blood cells that consists of a globin composed of four subunits each of which is linked to a heme molecule, that functions in oxygen transport to the tissues after conversion to oxygenated form in the gills or lungs, and that assists in carbon dioxide transport back to the gills or lungs after surrender of its oxygen.

WARM Explanation: Hemoglobin is what makes our blood red in color. It is a very important protein, because it is what supplies our bodies with oxygen. Hemoglobin takes oxygen from the lungs to all the parts of the body, and then assists in brining carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be exhaled. You might think of hemoglobin as a kind of delivery service AND a waste disposal service.

HEMORRHAGIC STROKE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. A disorder involving bleeding within ischemic brain tissue. Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when blood vessels that are damaged or dead from lack of blood supply (infarcted), located within an area of infarcted brain tissue, rupture and transform an "ischemic" stroke into a hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemia is inadequate tissue oxygenation caused by reduced blood flow; infarction is tissue death resulting from ischemia. Bleeding irritates the brain tissues, causing swelling (cerebral edema). Blood collects into a mass (hematoma). Both swelling and hematoma will compress and displace brain tissue.

WARM Explanation: A hemorrhagic stroke is a kind of stroke that involves a swelling or bursting of the blood vessels. There are two main kinds of hemorrhagic strokes. One is when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures or bursts. This can lead to problems from too much pressure on the brain and from having the blood damage the brain. The other main type of hemorrhagic stroke in an ANEURYSM. An aneurysm is caused when part of a blood vessel stretches out at a weak point. These are dangerous because they can easily burst. Hemorrhagic strokes are linked to high blood pressure and hypertension.

HERITABILITY
Dictionary Definition: n. 2. The proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (as intelligence) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones

WARM Explanation: When we say that something is HERITABLE, we mean that it can be passed from one generation to another through genes. Something like eye color in due to HERITABILITY. On the other hand, knowing how to make your Mom’s famous brownies is NOT heritable, but a learned (environmental) trait.

HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS (HDL)
Dictionary Definition: n. A cholesterol-poor protein-rich lipoprotein of blood plasma correlated with reduced risk of atherosclerosis.

WARM Explanation: Lipoproteins are a combination of lipid (fat) and protein. HDLS are one of three types of lipoproteins. They have more protein than cholesterol, and actually help your body get rid of cholesterol. HDLs take cholesterol from other parts of your body and bring it to the liver (which means it will eventually leave your body). HDLs are a friendly, healthy kind of lipoprotein to have around.

HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN 
Physicians Weight Loss Centers of America Definition: n. A protein that is easily digestible and a complete protein. 

WARM Explanation: A high quality protein (as the name suggests) is the best protein you can eat. High quality proteins are complete proteins, which have all the amino acids your body needs to thrive and grow (without supplementing your diet). They are also easy for your body to actually absorb and use.

HORMONES 
Dictionary Definition: n. A product of living cells that circulates in body fluids or sap and produces a specific effect on the activity of cells remote from its point of origin; especially : one exerting a stimulatory effect on a cellular activity.

WARM Explanation: Hormones travel throughout the body, carrying messages from your glands to your organs and tissues. You might think of your hormones as a kind of messenger service, going to different parts of your body and instructing each part on what to do.

HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA (HIGH CHOLESTEROL)
Dictionary Definition: n. The presence of excess cholesterol in the blood.

WARM Explanation: This is the condition of having high levels of cholesterol in the blood. A certain amount of cholesterol is normal and even necessary for your body’s functioning, but too much can be deadly. Cholesterol can start to pile up inside of blood vessels, which can make it difficult for blood to get around your body. High cholesterol can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

HYPERGLYCEMIA 
Dictionary Definition: n. Excess of sugar in the blood.

WARM Explanation: Hyperglycemia is simply having more sugar in the blood than is normal or healthy. Many people with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes have this problem. The blood sugar is not stored or used by the body when you have hyperglycemia. This is because of a lack of insulin.

HYPERTENSION 
Dictionary Definition: n. Abnormally high blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure; also : the systemic condition accompanying high blood pressure.

WARM Explanation: If a person has hypertension, it means that his or her heart and arteries are working harder than they would in a person without hypertension. The force that the arteries experience when your heart is pumping is your blood pressure. When this force is more than it should be, it exerts more pressure on your arteries. Your arteries can weaken or become clogged because of all this pressure on them. Having high blood pressure can lead to coronary heart disease or stroke.

HYPOGLYCEMIA 
Dictionary Definition: n. Abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood.

WARM Explanation: Hypoglycemia means that your blood does not have enough glucose (blood sugar) in it. This condition mainly occurs in people who have diabetes. Having diabetes can make it hard for your body to respond to low blood sugar levels. Normally, when your blood sugar drops too low, your body responds by releasing stored sugar into your blood to keep all your tissues supplied with energy. When this response is not working properly (such as in people with diabetes), blood sugar levels drop and the person feels weak, anxious, and light headed.

HYPOTENSION
Dictionary Definition: n. Abnormally low blood pressure.

WARM Explanation: Although a high blood pressure is unhealthy, a blood pressure that is TOO low can also be dangerous. It is rare that a person has hypotension; it normally only affects people with endocrine or nervous system disorders, people who have very bad infections, shock victims, and people taking some drugs.

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IDEAL BODY WEIGHT 
Physicians Weight Loss Centers Glossary Definition: n. The weight appropriate for an individual that results in a body mass index of 20-25. 

WARM Explanation:  When you hear the term IDEAL BODY WEIGHT you may think of unrealistically thin actors and models. Your ideal body weight is actually based on much more than appearances! Using your BMI (Body Mass Index) you can see if you are in the target range for your ideal body weight.

INSOLUBLE FIBER 
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. Insoluble fiber is found in foods such as wheat bran, vegetables and whole grains. It appears to speed the passage of foods through the stomach and intestines and adds bulk to the stool.

WARM Explanation: INSOLUBLE FIBER is one kind of fiber that is useful to your body. Since it is insoluble, this fiber will not dissolve in water. Instead, it passes right through your body (as roughage). Your body will not digest insoluble fiber.

INSULIN 
Dictionary Definition: n. A protein pancreatic hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans that is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and is used in the treatment and control of diabetes mellitus.

WARM Definition: INSULIN is what processes the sugar in your blood and stores it away for later use. If you did not produce insulin, the broken down carbohydrates (glucose) that your body digested would not all be used. This is what happens when a person has diabetes.

ISCHEMIC STROKE
Dictionary Definition of “Ischemic”: adj. Localized tissue anemia due to obstruction of the inflow of arterial blood.

WARM Explanation: ISCHEMIC STROKES are the most common form of stroke. Unlike a hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic strokes are the result of the brain not receiving enough blood. Usually one of the arteries that brings blood to the brain gets blocked, which means the brain is starved for oxygen. A person having an ischemic stroke might not be able to use his or her senses (like hearing and seeing), because those parts of the brain are cut off from receiving blood.

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LACTOSE 
Dictionary Definition: n. A disaccharide sugar C12H22O11 that is present in milk and yields glucose and galactose upon hydrolysis and yields especially lactic acid upon fermentation.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about LACTOSE, we mean the sugar that you find in milk. Your body breaks lactose down into glucose, the form of sugar that your body uses for energy.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE 
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. It is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme lactase.

WARM Definition: When people say that they are LACTOSE INTOLERANT, what they mean is their body cannot process the sugar found in milk. Milk sugar (lactose) requires a certain enzyme (lactase) for your body to process it. If you do not have the enzyme, then the milk sugar cannot be broken down. When this happens, the body responds with all sorts of gastrointestinal problems.

LEAN BODY MASS
Physicians Weight Loss Centers Glossary Definition: n. The fat-free mass or part of the body including all its components except fat storage.

WARM Explanation: This is just what it sounds like. The part of the body that does not include any fat is the LEAN BODY MASS. Things like muscle, bone, and organs are part of what makes up the lean body mass. If your doctor calculates your lean body mass, he or she is looking for how much of your body is fat, and how much is lean body mass.

LEPTIN
Dictionary Definition: n. A neurotransmitter produced by fat cells and involved in the regulation of appetite.

WARM Explanation: Leptin is a type of hormone or messenger in your body. Fat tissue produces this hormone. Leptin appears to play a part in telling your brain to eat and in sending information to the brain on how much fat is in your body. In other words, it helps your body regulate energy usage. Although medical studies haven’t shown leptin to be an effective treatment when injected, it may be an important link in understanding how our bodies regulate the amount of fat we store.

LIPOPROTEIN
Dictionary Definition: n. A conjugated protein that is a complex of protein and lipid.

WARM Explanation: Lipoproteins are a combination of lipid (fat) and protein that carry cholesterol in the blood. Not all lipoproteins are created equal – some are much better for you than others. HDLs are good for your health, while LDLs and VLDLs are bad.

LOW-CALORIE DIET (LCD)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Caloric restriction of about 800 to 1,500 calories (approximately 12 to 15 kcal/kg of body weight) per day.

WARM Explanation: This is a kind of diet that a doctor may recommend to a patient struggling with weight problems. A low-calorie diet aims to take in less energy (in other words, calories) so that less is stored in the body as fat.

LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL)
Dictionary Definition: n. A cholesterol-rich protein-poor lipoprotein of blood plasma correlated with increased risk of atherosclerosis.

WARM Explanation: Lipoproteins are a combination of lipid (fat) and protein. LDLS are one of three types of lipoproteins. They have more cholesterol than protein, meaning that they are not a healthy kind of lipoprotein! HDLs are the healthy kind of lipoprotein to have. High amounts of LDL are unhealthy, because these lipoproteins actually bring cholesterol to different parts of your body. LDLs increase a person’s risk of heart disease.

LOWER-FAT DIET
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. An eating plan in which 30 percent or less of the day's total calories are from fat.

WARM Explanation: The idea behind a lower-fat diet is that if a person eats less fat in his or her diet, then less fat will end up on the person’s hips or stomach. The problem with this diet is that if a person eats much more food than is necessary, EVEN if all those foods are low in fat, the person can gain weight. This is due to the fact that our bodies can convert the food energy we consume into fat, even if it was originally in the form of sugars or carbohydrates. If a person follows a lower-fat diet, it is important that he or she remembers that overeating will have the same effect as eating too much fat!

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MACRONUTRIENTS
Dictionary Definition: n. A chemical element (as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium) of which relatively large quantities are essential to the growth and health of a plant.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about MACRONUTRIENTS in human terms, we mean the nutrients we eat that give us energy. For humans, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are our macronutrients. 

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Magnetic resonance imaging uses radio frequency waves to provide direct visualization and quantification of fat. The sharp image contrast of MRI allows clear separation of adipose tissue from surrounding nonlipid structures. Essentially the same information provided by CT is available from MRI, including total body and regional adipose tissue, subcutaneous adipose, and estimates of various visceral adipose tissue components. The advantage of MRI is its lack of ionizing radiation and hence its presumed safety in children, younger adults, and pregnant women. The minimal present use of MRI can be attributed to the expense, limited access to instrumentation, and long scanning time.

WARM Explanation: This is another tool a doctor may use in figuring out the lean body mass of a patient, compared to the amount of body fat. This is a safer method than CT scanning.

METABOLISM 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1 a. The sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated b. The sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body c. The sum of the metabolic activities taking place in a particular environment.

WARM Explanation: All the reactions going on in a person’s body make up the METABOLISM. Metabolism also means the process of turning food into energy. Your body processes food into blood sugar, which your body can then use for energy.

MINERALS 
Dictionary Definition:  n. 1. Ore  2. An inorganic substance  4. Something neither animal nor vegetable.
 
WARM Explanation: You probably hear people say “Get enough vitamin and minerals!” When we talk about MINERALS, we usually mean the elements that our bodies need that, as the dictionary definition says, are neither “animal nor vegetable.” Our bodies need minerals, for example, calcium and potassium.

MONOSACCHARIDE 
Dictionary Definition: n. A sugar not decomposable to simpler sugars by hydrolysis.
 
WARM Explanation: The word MONOSACCHARIDE simply means a sugar that is completely broken down. A sugar such as glucose is a monosaccharide, because it cannot be broken down further. Glucose is what your body breaks all carbohydrates and fats down to. It is then used by your body for energy.

MONOUNSATURATED FAT
Dictionary Definition of “Monounsaturated”: adj. Containing one double or triple bond per molecule -- used especially of an oil or fatty acid.

WARM Explanation: Not all fats are created equal. MONOUNSATURATED FAT is a kind of fat that can actually help your body lower its cholesterol level if used in place of saturated fats. Things like olive oil, canola oil, and avocados have monounsaturated fat.

MORBID OBESITY
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Definition: n. The term morbid obesity refers to patients who are 50-100% or 100 pounds above their ideal body weight. Alternatively, a BMI value greater than 39 may be used to diagnose morbid obesity.

WARM Explanation: When you hear someone say “morbid obesity,” you may not know exactly what is meant. This term is just a way of classifying how overweight a person is. One can use the BMI (Body Mass Index) or the actual number of pounds one is over his or her ideal body weight to figure out if a one is morbidly obese or not.

NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: Conducted every 10 years by the National Center for Health Statistics to survey the dietary habits and health of U.S. residents.

WARM Explanation: You might come across the abbreviation NHANES while learning about obesity and health matters in the U.S. This survey is a good source of information on how people in this country are eating and staying healthy (or not so healthy).

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NITROGEN 
Dictionary Definition: n. A colorless tasteless odorless element that as a diatomic gas is relatively inert and constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume and that occurs as a constituent of all living tissues.

WARM Explanation: Nitrogen is important because it is part of proteins. In fact, you will find nitrogen in the chemical make-up of EVERY protein. Since our bodies need many different proteins to grow and thrive, nitrogen plays a vital part in keeping us healthy!

NUTRITION
Dictionary Definition: n. The act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically : the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about NUTRITION, we’re talking about one of two things. One is how the body uses food – the process of converting the food material you eat to blood sugar and proteins that your body can use to stay alive. The second is the study of this; NUTRITIONISTS study the effect of people’s diet (what foods people eat).

NUTRIENTS 
Dictionary Definition: n. A nutritive substance or ingredient.

WARM Explanation: Nutrients are what your body relies upon to stay alive and healthy. They are everything that your body takes from the food you eat to provide you with energy and building materials. Things like carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals are all nutrients.

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OBESITY 
Dictionary Definition: n. A condition characterized by excessive bodily fat.

WARM Explanation: When people say “obesity” they often mean “overweight.” There are actual guidelines, however, on what makes a person obese versus overweight. If a person has a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30 kg/m2, he or she is considered obese.

OSTEOARTHRITIS
Dictionary Definition: n. Arthritis marked by degeneration of the cartilage and bone of joints.

WARM Explanation: This is a painful condition that occurs when a person’s joints begin to wear down. Usually this only occurs in elderly people.

OVERWEIGHT 
Dictionary Definition: n. 1. Weight over and above what is required or allowed. 2. Excessive or burdensome weight.

WARM Explanation: You probably hear people say that they are overweight, even if they just want to lose 5 or 10 pounds. The term “overweight” actually has a specific meaning though. If a person has a BMI (Body Mass Index) between 25 and 30 kg/m2, then he or she is considered overweight.

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PHARMACOTHERAPY
Dictionary Definition: n. the treatment of disease and especially mental illness with drugs.

WARM Explanation: When we use the word “pharmacotherapy” while talking about diet and health, we usually mean something more specific than the dictionary definition. Pharmacotherapy is used to fight obesity. Patients take appetite suppressants (drugs that make you feel less hungry) so that they eat less.

PHENOTYPE
Dictionary Definition: n. The visible properties of an organism that are produced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment.

WARM Explanation: Your genotype is basically your genetic make-up. On the other hand, your PHENOTYPE is the observable result. Your phenotype is a combination of how your genes AND your environment have affected you. When we use the word “phenotype” while talking about diet and health, we are talking about genetics (like if you have a gene that causes obesity) AND environment (like if your parents always fed you fatty foods when you were young, so that’s what you eat a lot of now, too).

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Dictionary Definition of “Activity”: n. 5a. A pursuit in which a person is active. b. A form of organized, supervised, often extracurricular recreation.

WARM Explanation: Physical activity is not only exercise, it also applies to less organized movements. You might get physical activity from a sport or activity, such as playing basketball or running laps. Or you might get physical activity when it’s the last thing on your mind – like when you’re cleaning your room or organizing the garage. It’s important for everyone to get physical activity, because it keeps our muscles active and helps prevent our bodies from gaining weight (in the form of fat).

PLATEAU (WEIGHT) 
Dictionary Definition of “Plateau”: n. 1. A usually extensive land area having a relatively level surface raised sharply above adjacent land on at least one side. 2 a. A region of little or no change in a graphic representation b.  A relatively stable level, period, or condition.

WARM Explanation: When we use the word “plateau” in referring to weight, we mean something a little different from the dictionary definition. When you reach your PLATEAU WEIGHT, it means that you have reached a weight at which you are stable. In other words, at your plateau weight you are not losing or gaining weight.

POLYUNSATURATED FAT
Dictionary Definition of “Polyunsaturated”: of an oil or fatty acid : having many double or triple bonds in a molecule.

WARM Explanation: Polyunsaturated fats are “better” fats than saturated fats. If you take in polyunsaturated fats in moderation and avoid saturated fats, then you can actually lower your cholesterol level. Things like corn oil and soybean oil contain polyunsaturated fats.

POSTPRANDIAL PLASMA BLOOD GLUCOSE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. Glucose tolerance test performed after ingesting food.

WARM Explanation: This is a type of test used to test glucose tolerance.

PROTEIN
Dictionary Definition: n. Any of numerous naturally occurring extremely complex substances that consist of amino-acid residues joined by peptide bonds, contain the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, usually sulfur, and occasionally other elements (as phosphorus or iron), and include many essential biological compounds (as enzymes, hormones, or immunoglobulins).

WARM Explanation: Most people know that our bodies need protein to grow and stay healthy. Proteins are made up of amino acids, and you can find proteins in almost every part of your body. Cells are kept healthy with protein, and protein is what children need to grow. That’s why it is so important for people to eat a variety of foods with proteins in them (so that our bodies can get all the proteins they need).

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RDA (RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE) 
The Physicians Weight Loss Centers of America Definition: n. ”RDA is defined as the amounts of energy and selected nutrients considered adequate to meet the nutrient needs of most healthy people. Daily requirements are the amount of nutrients that will just prevent the development of specific deficiency signs and diseases. This differs from the RDA in that the RDA is recommended in generous allowances that provides for variability among individuals.”

WARM Explanation: The Recommended Dietary Allowances are a guide for what we need to eat (and how much) in order to be as healthy as possible. The system was developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (part of the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council). The RDA is a more useful took than Daily Values. This is because the RDA is much more specific – there are separate guidelines for adults, kids, men, and women.

RDI (REFERENCE DAILY INTAKES) 
Physicians Weight Loss Centers Definition: n. Food labeling values for protein, vitamins and minerals based on population-adjusted means of the RDA. 

WARM Explanation: This is another way of monitoring what you should eat and how much you should eat. It is based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) except that this model is for everyone over the age of 4 (instead of groups of people according to age and sex). 

REFRACTORY OBESITY
Dictionary Definition of “Refractory”: adj. 1. Resisting control or authority. 2a. Resistant to treatment or cure.

WARM Explanation: Something that is “refractory” to treatment is difficult to cure. If someone has “refractory obesity” it means that the obesity is difficult to treat. In other words, it means that the person has trouble losing weight using the tools usually prescribed: diet and exercise.

REGISTERED DIETITIAN (R.D.)
Dictionary Definition: n. A specialist in dietetics (the science or art of applying the principles of nutrition to the diet).

WARM Explanation: A dietitian is a specialist in what humans need to eat in order to be healthy. To become a dietitian in the U.S., you must major in diet and nutrition at a college with an American Dietetic Association approved program. To begin a career as a dietitian, you also must pass an exam.

RESTING METABOLIC RATE (RMR)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary Definition: n. RMR accounts for 65 to 75 percent of daily energy expenditure and represents the minimum energy needed to maintain all physiological cell functions in the resting state. The principal determinant of RMR is lean body mass (LBM). Obese subjects have a higher RMR in absolute terms than lean individuals, an equivalent RMR when corrected for LBM and per unit surface area, and a lower RMR when expressed per kilogram of body weight. Obese persons require more energy for any given activity because of a larger mass, but they tend to be more sedentary than lean subjects.

WARM Explanation: RMR refers to how much energy your body needs to live if you are just resting and not doing anything physical. It may seem surprising, but most of the energy your body uses everyday is put toward basic bodily functions, not toward exercise or other physical activity. A person’s RMR depends on his or her lean body mass.

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SATURATED FAT 
Dictionary Definition for “Saturated”: adj. 1. Full of moisture : made thoroughly wet.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about saturated fats, we generally mean “saturated” in the sense that the fat molecules have as many atoms of hydrogen as possible. Think of these fats as “saturated with hydrogen.” These fats are solid when at room temperature. Saturated fats are the unhealthy, bad-for-you fats. These are the fats that lead to high cholesterol and even heart disease. It’s healthier to eat unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats.

SEDENTARY
Dictionary Definition: adj. 2. Doing or requiring much sitting.

WARM Explanation: When we use the word SEDENTARY in the obesity and fitness discussion, we mean a kind of lifestyle. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, it means that you do not get much exercise, and you are not very physically active. For example, a couch potato lives a sedentary lifestyle.

SEROTONIN
Dictionary Definition: n. A phenolic amine neurotransmitter C10H12N2O that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum, and gastric mucosa of mammals.

WARM Explanation: When we use the word “serotonin” while talking about diet and exercise, we are probably referring to the effect this chemical has on our eating habits and mood. Serotonin is a chemical that our brains produce. It can be found in the blood, brain, and digestive system. It’s the chemical that is responsible for putting you in a good mood, and making you feel full and happy after eating.

SLEEP APNEA
Dictionary Definition of “Apnea”: Transient cessation of respiration.

WARM Explanation: Apnea means a break in breathing. Sleep apnea is a condition which causes a person to stop breathing for short amounts of time while they are sleeping. This condition has been linked to obesity and to drinking alcohol or taking some types of drugs. Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition because it can lead to hypertension and heart problems.

SOCIAL PRESSURE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. A strategy used in behavior therapy in which individuals are told that they possess the basic self-control ability to lose weight, but that coming to group meetings will strengthen their abilities. The group is asked to listen and give advice, similar to the way many self-help groups, based on social support, operate.

WARM Explanation: When we use the term “social pressure” while talking about diet and exercise, it means a kind of therapy. Being around other people that are going through the same problems as you is a powerful tool in coping. A group meeting can encourage and inspire people struggling to lose weight to keep trying.

STRESS INCONTINENCE
Dictionary Definition of “Incontinent”: adj. Not continent: as 1. Lacking self-restraint. 2. Not being under control. b. Unable to retain a bodily discharge (as urine) voluntarily.

WARM Explanation: When we talk about “stress incontinence,” we mean a certain kind of inability to control one’s body. This is when a physical prompt (such as laughing) causes a person to lose control of his or her bladder. Things like laughing put pressure on your stomach area, which can stress your bladder. Many older women who have had children experience stress incontinence.

STRESS MANAGEMENT
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. A set of techniques used to help an individual cope more effectively with difficult situations in order to feel better emotionally, improve behavioral skills, and often to enhance feelings of control. Stress management may include relaxation exercises, assertiveness training, cognitive restructuring, time management, and social support. It can be delivered either on a one-to-one basis or in a group format.

WARM Explanation: Sometimes we feel out of control in stressful situations. This can make us feel like we don’t have control over our bodies or our lives. The technique of using “stress management” can help a person feel more relaxed and in control of his or her life. In relation to diet and exercise, these techniques can help an overweight or obese person feel that he or she CAN lose weight.

STROKE
Dictionary Definition: n. 5. Sudden diminution or loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion caused by rupture or obstruction (as by a clot) of an artery of the brain.

WARM Explanation: A stroke is when a part of a person’s brain is exposed to too much or too little blood. In a hemorrhagic stroke, a blood vessel bursts and the extra blood puts pressure on the brain. In an ischemic stroke, a blood vessel to the brain is clogged up or blocked, so the brain doesn’t get the blood it needs. Strokes can be caused by hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol).

SUBMAXIMAL HEART RATE TEST
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. Used to determine the systematic use of physical activity. The submaximal work levels allow work to be increased in small increments until cardiac manifestations such as angina pain appear. This provides a more precise manipulation of workload and gives a reliable and quantitative index of a person's functional impairment if heart disease is detected.

WARM Explanation: A “submaximal heart rate test” can be a useful tool for doctors. A patient might be asked to run on a treadmill so the doctor can figure out at what point the patient’s body is not able to continue exercising. This way the doctor can get a better idea of the patient’s limits in physical activity. It can also show a doctor whether a patient has heart disease or not.

SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. The maximum pressure in the artery produced as the heart contracts and blood begins to flow.

WARM Explanation: When you have your blood pressure taken, you will notice that there are two numbers involved. The higher number is your SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE. This is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is in the middle of a “beat.” In other words, it is the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart is in the act of pushing blood through them.

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TRIGLYCERIDES 
Dictionary Definition: n. An ester formed from glycerol by reacting all three of its hydroxy groups with fatty acids.

WARM Explanation: Triglycerides are a kind of fat. Most of the fat in our bodies is stored as triglycerides. This is because the body can easily use this kind of fat for energy.

TRANS FATTY ACIDS
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. A fat that is produced when liquid fat (oil) is turned into solid fat through a chemical process called hydrogenation … Eating a large amount of trans fatty acids also raises blood cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

WARM Explanation: Bad fats are SATURATED FATS. This means that they are “saturated” with hydrogen. Trans fatty acids are basically fats that have gone through a chemical process that adds lots of hydrogen to them. So a not-so-bad fat becomes a bad-for-you fat. You can tell from looking at a trans fatty acid that it’s the “bad” kind of fat – it will be solid at room temperature.

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UNDERWATER WEIGHING
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. A research method for estimating body fat. A person is placed in a tank, underwater, and weighed. By comparing weight underwater with weight on land, one can get a very good measure of body fat.

WARM Explanation: If you have stopped growing taller but you are still gaining weight, you might assume that you are gaining fat. But gaining weight is not necessarily a bad thing! Athletes gain weight when they train because muscle weighs more than fat. So you could be working out on a regular basis, but still be gaining weight! It is more important to know how much body fat you have, than how much you weigh. UNDERWATER WEIGHING does just this. If a doctor took your underwater weight and your weight on a regular scale on land, he or she would be able to figure out about how much body fat you have.

UNSATURATED FAT  (Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. A fat that is liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oils are unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated fats, and monounsaturated fats. They include most nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish, like salmon.

WARM Explanation: When people use the term “unsaturated fat” they are talking about the “healthier” forms of fat. Unsaturated fats are a good substitute for saturated fats in your diet. These fats include monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These fats are found in plant matter, like olives and avocados.

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VALIDITY
Dictionary Definition for “Valid”: adj. 2a.  Well-grounded or justifiable : being at once relevant and meaningful. b. Logically correct.

WARM Explanation: When you hear that study results have “validity,” then you know that the study is an accurate look at how something really is in the world. The methods used by the researchers are logical, and take the whole group of people that are being studied into account. A study with validity gives us an accurate picture of the people it focuses on.

VEGAN 
Dictionary Definition: n. A strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products; also : one who abstains from using animal products (as leather).

WARM Explanation: When people describe themselves as a VEGAN, they mean that they do not eat meat or any kind of food produced from animals. That includes both animal meat, and things like milk and eggs. That means that vegans only eat foods that come from plants (like soy milk and wheat, for example).

VEGETARIAN
Dictionary Definition: n. One who believes in or practices vegetarianism (defined as: the theory or practice of living on a diet made up of vegetables , fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products).

WARM Explanation: A vegetarian is a person who has decided not to eat the meat of animals. Instead, vegetarians eat plant matter that gives their bodies most of the same nutrients as meat. If a person also decides not to eat animal products, such as milk and eggs, then he or she is a vegan.

VERTICAL BANDED GASTROPLASTY
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. A surgical treatment for extreme obesity; an operation on the stomach that involves constructing a small pouch in the stomach that empties through a narrow opening into the distal stomach and duodenum.

WARM Explanation: This is a type of surgery that a doctor may use to treat someone with very serious obesity problems. A surgeon closes off part of the stomach with a band and staples. This will be the new and smaller stomach. There is a small hole to let the food move from this “new stomach” into the rest of the stomach, and then into the intestines. The patient will feel full after eating a very small amount of food, and then it will take awhile for the food to empty into the small intestines.

VERY-LOW CALORIE DIET
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. Also called “VLCD.” A person following a VLCD eats or drinks a commercially prepared formula that has 800 calories or less, instead of eating food. A VLCD can allow a person to lose weight more quickly than is usually possible with low-calorie diets, but should only be used under the supervision of a health care provider.

WARM Explanation: This is one of those “don’t try this at home!” diets. You should only start a diet like this if your doctor recommends it and supervises it. A very-low calorie diet is just what it sounds like – a way of eating that requires the dieter to consume only a certain amount of pre-approved food or drink each day, with much fewer calories than most people eat on a day-to-day basis. This is a diet that could be dangerous to your health if undertaken without medical support.

VERY-LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (VLDL)
Dictionary Definition: n.  A plasma lipoprotein that is produced primarily by the liver with lesser amounts contributed by the intestine, that contains relatively large amounts of triglycerides compared to protein, and that leaves a residue of cholesterol in the tissues during the process of conversion to LDL.

WARM Explanation: Lipoproteins are a combination of lipid (fat) and protein. VLDLs are one of three types of lipoproteins. They have more cholesterol than protein, meaning that they are not a healthy kind of lipoprotein! These lipoproteins can turn into low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) which are very bad for you because they carry cholesterol to different parts of your body. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are the healthy kind of lipoprotein to have. LDLs increase a person’s risk of heart disease.

VITAMIN
Dictionary Definition: n. Any of various organic substances that are essential in minute quantities to the nutrition of most animals and some plants, act especially as coenzymes and precursors of coenzymes in the regulation of metabolic processes but do not provide energy or serve as building units, and are present in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced within the body.

WARM Explanation: You’ve probably been hearing about vitamins for as long as you can remember. Vitamins are not actually used in your body for energy,  but for bodily processes which require small amounts of these organic nutrients. Most vitamins you eat, in things like leafy green vegetables and citrus fruits. Others your body can produce.

VO2 MAX
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. Maximal oxygen uptake is known as VO2 max and is the maximal capacity for oxygen consumption by the body during maximal exertion.  It is used as an indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness.

WARM Explanation: Your VO2 max measures your body’s ability to use oxygen. When you are exercising at your very hardest, your VO2 max shows how much oxygen your body can use.

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WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
Dictionary Definition of “Circumference”: adj. 1. The perimeter of a circle. 2. The external boundary or surface of a figure or object.

WARM Explanation: The circumference of something is the distance around it. So your waist’s circumference is the measurement around your waist. Doctors have a very specific way of measuring your waist so that it will be a good measurement of your size. This is a good way for a doctor to compare a patient’s size before and after treating obesity.

WAIST-HIP-RATIO (WHR)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Glossary: n. The ratio of a person's waist circumference to hip circumference. WHR looks at the relationship between the differences in the measurements of waist and hips. Most people store body fat in two distinct ways, often called the "apple" and "pear" shapes, either the middle (apple) or the hips (pear). For most people, carrying extra weight around their middle increases health risks more than carrying extra weight around their hips or thighs. Overall obesity, however, is still of greater risk than body fat storage locations or WHR. A WHR  1.0 is in the danger zone, with risks of heart disease and other ailments connected with being overweight.  For men, a ratio of .90 or less is considered safe, and for women, .80 or less.

WARM Explanation: If a doctor takes your WAIST-HIP-RATIO, he or she might be looking for an idea of how you store fat. It is usually healthier to have fat in the hip area than in the stomach area. Fat in the stomach area is called abdominal fat, and seems to be more dangerous to a person’s health.

WEIGHT CONTROL
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight by eating well and getting regular physical activity.

WARM Explanation: This is one of those terms that means what it sounds like. WEIGHT CONTROL means that your weight is under control, due to good eating and exercising habits.

WEIGHT CYCLE
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glossary Definition: n. Losing and gaining weight over and over again. Commonly called “yo-yo” dieting.

WARM Explanation: A weight-cycle can be a frustrating trap, which many people trying to lose weight fall into. Many people follow a diet and lose weight, only to gain it back again later. The whole process is repeated, and results in what we call a “weight-cycle.”

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