(Answers Below)

1. False. The primary cause of obesity is the consumption of more calories than are expended. For every 3,500 "extra" calories a person eats, a pound of fat is stored. Some people may have a tendency to gain weight more easily than others, but they are not doomed to being fat just because one of both of their parents is obese. They just have to eat fewer calories and/or exercise a little more.
2. False. Foods turn to fat when there are more calories taken in than the body needs regardless of who the individual is. For example, ingesting an extra ounce of hard cheese, a tablespoon of peanut butter, or one ounce of dry cereal (each worth about 100 calories) each day will result in a one-pound weight gain in 35 days. If overconsumption of food continues, any person will eventually become obese.
3. False. It is often the case that when people skip a meal, they overstuff themselves at the next meal and end up taking in as many or more calories than they would if they had eaten two smaller meals.
4. False. The purpose of reducing pills is generally to curb one’s appetite so as to eat less. If, however, one takes reducing pills and continues to eat as much or more than usual; no weight will be lost. Reducing pills do not burn calories while one sits or sleeps, as many people are misled to believe. The best way to reduce is to eat less and exercise more.
5. False. In most cases, low-calorie breads are significantly higher priced. If one would carefully plan a reducing diet, being aware of calories contained in all foods, one would find that the "fat" culprits are not based around carbohydrates such as bread, but are in some of our other favorites, such as meats, cheese, salad dressing, nuts, and sweet desserts.
6. False. Toasting bread does not reduce the amount of calories contained in the bread.
7. False. It is dangerous and detrimental to restrict water intake during a weight-reduction diet. First, any weight loss caused by water restriction is immediately regained when one stops restricting water. Second, water restriction leads to dehydration. People who are dehydrated are tired and less likely to exercise, and exercise is an important part of any weight-reduction program. Water is a vital nutrient for any type of diet and is a good replacement for many high-calorie sweet beverages.
8. False. Candy enriched with vitamins supplies not only vitamins, but also extra calories in the way of refined sugar. One can receive just as many vitamins, as well as pleasure, by eating a balanced diet which follows the "Daily Food Guide." Candy enriched with vitamins is also devoid of fiber, an important substance to ingest, especially during weight loss and maintenance.
9. False. Small amounts of fat should be included in a weight-reduction diet. This will help an individual feel full and satisfied after each meal.
10. False. Sugar and starch are both carbohydrates and both provide the same number of calories. In fact, starch is broken down to sugar once it is inside our bodies. Starchy foods have an advantage over high-sugar foods in that the former, often contribute fiber and greater amounts of other essential nutrients.
11. False. All of our foods, including high-protein foods (e.g., lean meat, poultry, and fish) contain calories. Regardless of the source of our calories, anything taken in excess will be converted to fat.
12. False. Most gelatin desserts on the market today contain a large amount of sugar. While gelatin desserts may contain fewer calories than some other types of desserts (chocolate cake and ice cream), they cannot be considered nonfattening because they are indeed a source of calories. As mentioned before, any calories taken in excess will turn to fat.
13. False. On the average, walking 1-mile burns up only 100 calories. This amounts to 700 calories a week. To lose 1 pound of body fat, 2800 more calories need to be expended in order to lose 1 pound of body fat in 1 week, provided that the amount of calories consumed is the same. (3,500 – 700 = 2,800) This is equivalent to walking 35 miles (or 5 miles each day) for a week.
14. False. Hamburger, hotdogs, and cheese contain a considerable amount of fat while bread and potatoes are very low in fat. Since fat provides 2 ½ times as many calories per gram as doe’s carbohydrate, the meat and cheese would provide more calories.
15. False. Both activities require one to use the same muscles. Running the mile uses the muscles more vigorously than walking. However, if one walks the mile, one uses the muscles for a longer length of time. It is the distance covered that is important, not whether one walks or runs it. Either way, about 100 calories is expended.
16. False. In most cases, the label on the margarine package states that it contains the same amount of calories as butter (except for some diet margarines). Margarine, however, contains no cholesterol and more unsaturated fats than butter; and it is a more desirable spread than butter for this reason.
17. False. Even when reducing, it is important to meet one’s recommended dietary allowances for protein, vitamins, and minerals. Any diet that focuses on one particular group of foods, such as high-protein foods or low-carbohydrate foods, will not provide all the essential nutrients. It also will not bring about such a tremendous weight loss that once it has been followed, an "anything goes" pattern of eating can be resumed. The best type of reducing diet is one that includes foods from all of the food groups in the "daily Food Guide" but that reduces specific amounts of foods in each group. In this way, one can maintain the diet through a lifetime, without causing a risk to health.
18. False. Many people have been misled to believe that grapefruit possesses certain enzymes that convert fattening foods to fuel which is quickly burned by the body. While grapefruit is an excellent food to use in any diet, grapefruit by itself will not reduce a person’s weight.
19. False. Because physical activity burns calories directly, it is a vital part to fanny weight-reduction/control program. Getting a moderate amount of exercise daily has actually been shown to help individuals to control their appetite.
20. False. It is not healthy to lose more than two pounds per week. It is also very difficult to lose weight at this rate, since one must expend 3,500 calories more than what one ingested to lose one pound.

    

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