A Physics Model for Weight Loss by Dieting

Abstract

A person's average weight is determined by the equilibrium between his caloric intake (from food and liquids) and his energy loss (primarily by radiation and water evaporation). By dieting, one's weight can decrease significantly over a period as short as a couple dozen weeks. A simple physics-based model is developed that describes such a change in weight with time. The predictions are in reasonable accord with televised results of disciplined dieting plans.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA577097

Entities

People

  • Carl E. Mungan
  • Trevor C. Lipscombe

Organizations

  • United States Naval Academy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Body Weight
  • Differential Equations
  • Education
  • Electronic Mail
  • Equations
  • Evaporation
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Of Vaporization
  • Hispanics
  • Latent Heat
  • Numbers
  • Phase Transformations
  • Radiation
  • Thermodynamic Processes
  • United States
  • United States Naval Academy
  • Vaporization

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Exercise and Sports Science.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.