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Series Glossary of Key Terms / 99

Series Glossary

of Key Terms

Aerobic exercise:

Activities that use large muscle groups (back, chest,

and legs) to increase heart rate and breathing for an extended period of

time, such as bicycling, brisk walking, running, and swimming. Federal

guidelines recommend that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic

activity a week.

Body mass index (BMI):

A measure of body weight relative to height

that uses a mathematical formula to get a score to determine if a per-

son is underweight, at a normal weight, overweight, or obese. For

adults, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy; a person with a BMI

of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30

or more is considered obese. BMI charts for children compare their

height and weight to other children of their same sex and age.

Calorie:

A unit of energy in food.

Carbohydrate:

A type of food that is a major source of energy for your

body. Your digestive system changes carbohydrates into blood glucose

(sugar). Your body uses this sugar to make energy for cells, tissues, and

organs, and stores any extra sugar in your liver and muscles for when it is

needed. If there is more sugar than the body can use, it is stored as body

fat.

Cholesterol:

A fat-like substance that is made by your body and found

naturally in animal foods such as dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry,

and seafood. Foods high in cholesterol include dairy fats, egg yolks, and

organ meats such as liver. Cholesterol is needed to carry out functions

such as hormone and vitamin production, but too much can build up

inside arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Diabetes:

A person with this disease has blood glucose—sugar—levels that

are above normal levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps the glucose get

into your cells to give them energy. Diabetes occurs when the body does

not make enough insulin or does not use the insulin it makes. Over time,

having too much sugar in your blood may cause serious problems. It may

damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves, and may cause heart disease and

stroke. Regular physical activity, weight control, and healthy eating helps

to control or prevent diabetes.

Diet:

What a person eats and drinks. It may also be a type of eating plan.