BIO 140 Human Biology I - Questions and Solutions

1.Weight loss and weight gain are complex processes. What are some of the main factors that influence weight gain in people?

Solution: Factors that influence weight gain are food intake (both quantity and quality), environmental factors, height, exercise level, some drugs or disease states, and genes.

2. Some low-fat or non-fat foods contain a large amount of sugar to replace the fat content of the food. Discuss how this leads to increased fat in the body (and weight gain) even though the item is non-fat.

Solution: Although these foods technically do not have fat added, many times a significant amount of sugar is added to sweeten the food and make it taste better. These foods are non-fat; however, they can lead to significant fat storage or weight gain because the excess sugar is broken down into pyruvate, but overloads the Krebs cycle. When this happens, the sugar is converted into fat through lipogenesis and stored in adipose tissues.