The human body needs energy to sustain its various functions and help the individual perform his/her desired actions. This energy comes from the food we consume. When we consume food, we are said to be taking energy or assimilating energy or ‘energy in’, and when we work, exercise, or undertake any physical activity, we are said to be dissipating energy or giving out energy or ‘energy out’.
Since the rates at which we dissipate and assimilate energy are not the same always, the body is capable of storing energy for future use. The energy stored is generally in the form of fat or white adipose tissue. When the rates of energy intake and energy expenditure are reasonably healthy, there is less energy stored, which is considered a healthy energy balance. However, when these rates are largely different, the body is said to achieve an energy imbalance.
There are two types of Energy Balance.
A Negative Energy Balance indicates that more energy is being expended by the person through activity than energy consumed through food. A mild negative balance is healthy as it can lead to weight loss, which is a boon to overweight people. This is what inspires the concepts of dieting and fasting. However, if the negative energy balance becomes severe, it affects the body’s metabolism, hormone production, mental health, cognitive faculties, and overall physical development and growth. It can trigger eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. The person eventually becomes a smaller and unhealthier version of his/her past.
A Positive Energy Balance indicates that more energy is being consumed by the person as food than what is expended by him/her as activity. A mild positive balance is healthy as it helps in better hormone production, higher activity or metabolism levels and better mental, physical and cognitive health. This is a boon to thin people who are trying to gain a little weight or athletes, sportsmen and bodybuilders who are weight-training. However if the positive energy balance becomes severe, which comes from overeating or consuming an unhealthy diet, it can build up plaque in the arteries, increase blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and various cancers. And above all, it can make the person obese or overweight which in turn triggers all the above conditions.
With obesity becoming a global epidemic, it’s important to create awareness on how the condition affects various parts of the body.
From the above, it’s obvious that a severe negative or severe positive Energy Balance is disastrous to one’s health. It’s desirable to have a mild negative or mild positive Energy Balance depending on your priority at that point of time in life.
Achieving this balance is not a mystery and is instead the essence of all health management. This includes a healthy diet with the right mix of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, daily exercise, efficient stress management and a positive outlook to life.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
