A - I | J - R | S - Z

A - I

Abdominal fat: Body fat that is carried in the abdominal region that includes both subcutaneous (under the skin) and visceral (surrounding internal organs) fat deposits; waist circumference is often used to measure abdominal fat.

Aerobic exercise: a term to describe physical activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous and rhythmic manner.

Bariatric surgery: Various surgical procedures on the stomach and/or intestines to help a person with extreme obesity lose weight.

Binge eating: Eating in a discrete period of time (e.g. within any 2 hour period), an amount of food that is larger than most people would eat during a similar period of time. Also, a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode is experienced (e.g. a feeling that one cannot stop eating or control what or how much one is eating).

Body Composition: The relative proportions 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.

Body Mass Index (BMI): a measurement that evaluates the relationship between body weight and height; is the recommended method to diagnose overweight and obesity.

Body Mechanics - a set of techniques to prevent and correct problems related to posture.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): a psychological approach that involves the identification and modification of thinking patterns and negative mood states.

Cortisol: a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is released in response to physical or psychological stress.

Diabetes: a disease caused by insufficient insulin production or lack of responsiveness to insulin in the body; there are 2 primary types of diabetes, type 1 (which is sometimes called insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset) and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset).

Dietary Reference Values (DRVs): are a set of nutrient-based values that can be used to evaluate how “nutritious” a diet is.

Dietary disinhibition: a term that describes the lack of control over eating.

Dietary restraint: a term that describes how rigidly food intake is controlled in an effort to manage weight. Energy density: a weight loss approach that works by focusing choices on foods that provide a good volume-for-calories ratio; low energy density foods are usually rich in water and fibre and low in fat.

Dumping Syndrome: A condition where food moves too quickly from the stomach into the small intestine. Patients often experience abdominal pain, weakness, sweating, nausea, and occasional diarrhea. This condition is usually associated with gastric bypass bariatric surgery.

Energy expenditure: the amount of energy, or calories, burned for metabolic needs, including breathing, blood circulation, digestion and physical activity.

Exercise intensity: the amount of physical power the body uses in performing an activity.

Flexibility exercise: A term used to describe physical activity that includes range-of-motion activities that use the muscle/tendon groups.

Flexible restraint: a term used to describe a moderate and adaptable way of eating.

Food neophobia fear of trying new foods; particularly common in toddlers.

Ghrelin: a hormone that acts in the stomach to regulate hunger.

Glycemic Index (GI): a system that ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by their short-term effect on blood sugar.

Gold Member: a person who attends Weight Watchers meetings, and reaches a healthy body weight (defined as a Body Mass Index between 20 and 25 or a weight goal prescribed by a qualified health professional).

Heart rate: the number of heart beats per minute; influences metabolism – the higher the heart rate, the more calories burned.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): treatment for women that uses oestrogen and progestin (synthetic form of progesterone) to replace hormones lost during menopause or after hysterectomy to help control menopausal symptoms.

Hyperlipidaemia: elevated levels of blood fats (e.g., triglycerides, cholesterol) in the body. Hyperlipidaemia is often associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Hypothyroidism: a medical condition in which the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone.

Institute of Medicine (IOM): a part of the National Academy of Sciences that enlists experts to examine and issue reports on public health issues.

Insulin: a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels.

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J - R

Leptin: a hormone that acts in the brain to control appetite.

Macronutrients: nutrients that the body uses in relatively large amounts, including proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Meetings Leader: the person who facilitates a Weight Watchers meeting; all leaders undergo extensive training.

Metabolic Syndrome: A medical condition (sometimes called Insulin Resistance or Syndrome X) that is characterised by a cluster of health-related findings that include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglyceride levels, elevated blood sugar levels and below-normal levels of HDL cholesterol.

Metabolism: the total number of calories the body burns on a daily basis; includes the three major components of resting metabolism, physical activity and food digestion.

Motivational interviewing: a new method used to create behavior change that focuses on the natural ambivalence that is part of any lifestyle change and is geared toward enhancing motivation and bolstering commitment to the change process.

Muscle mass: the amount of muscle contained in the body; often used interchangeably with fat-free mass and lean tissue in weight management documents.

National Weight Control Registry (NWCR): a database of information about people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year.

Neurotransmitter: a chemical that communicates between nerve cells in the body.

Non-caloric sweeteners: A group of non-nutritive sweeteners which provide 0 calories per gram but have a sweet taste. Often used in place of caloric sweeteners like sugar, they are chemically processed.

Obesigenic: factors in the environment that may encourage obesity and promote the expression of a genetic tendency to gain weight.

Oestrogen: a primary female sex hormone produced by the ovaries that is responsible for female sexual characteristics and effects menstruation and the growth and maturation of bones.

Organic: a food (plant or animal) that is grown, treated, or processed without conventional pesticides, chemical herbicides, hormones, fertilizers and antibiotics.

Percentage of Maximum Oxygen Consumption or %-VO2max: a method used to measure aerobic or cardiovascular fitness levels.

Placebo: a substance, such as a sugar pill, that is used in research studies to compare the effects of a specific treatment against no treatment (the placebo).

Plateau: a common occurrence during the weight loss process when weight remains the same for a few weeks or longer.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): a syndrome characterised by multiple cysts on the ovaries with symptoms including irregular menses, increased male hormones, insulin resistance, obesity, excess body hair, acne and in many cases irregular menstruation and infertility.

Portion control: a weight loss approach that works by specifying the amount, or portion size, of foods eaten in a day with the goal of eating a specific number of calories.

Prebiotics: nondigestible food components that stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria (‘probiotics’) in the colon.

Probiotics: beneficial bacteria which, when consumed in adequate amounts, provide a health benefit related to their interactions with the digestive system.

Resistance exercise: a term used to describe physical activity that includes muscle-strengthening activities that work to build muscle and bone mass.

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S - Z

Satiety: the disappearance of appetite and feeling of fulness that occurs after eating a meal.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): form of depression related to a change in season; usually occurs with the onset of winter, when sunlight is limited, and fades with spring.

Self-efficacy: a person's perceived ability or confidence to make a desired change.

Social support: the help and encouragement provided by other people; the presence of social support is a consistent predictor of lasting weight loss.

Stages of Change: also referred to as the transtheoretical model of behaviour change; was developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente and states that people must go through six stages in order to make lasting changes in health-related behaviour patterns.

Visceral Fat: The fat that is found deeper down in the abdomen and surrounding the internal organs.

Waist Circumference: a measure used to assess abdominal fat. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches have a higher risk of developing obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

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