Nutritional Educational Center

Polyphagia - excessive hunger; a sign of diabetes. Individuals who experience this great hunger often undergo weight loss.


Confounding Variable / Factor - an unaccounted-for variable that distorts the true relationship of the study variables that are of central interest.


Bias - takes place when flaws in clinical trials produce results that are unrelated to the variables being researched or analyzed. One such example is Selection Bias, which occurs when the individuals or groups who take part in a study are selected in a way that can deceptively increase or decrease the strength of an association. Selecting participants for the study and control groups, who differ in measured or unmeasured basic characteristics, or when the study participants are not representative of the population of all possible participants, could result in a selection bias.


WIC - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Established in `72, the WIC program provides education on food and nutrition in order to better the nutritional condition of pregnant or breast-feeding women who are medically at risk, and children who are 5 or younger, from families with low income. The program is governed by the US Department of Agriculture.


Carbohydrate - natural chemical compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They range from simple sugars containing anywhere between 3-7 carbon atoms to highly complex molecules containing multiple bonds. Just the hexoses (monosaccharides having six carbon atoms) and pentoses (sugars made up of five carbon atoms) and their complex molecule chains contribute significantly to nutrition. Carbohydrates found in food yield 4 calories per gram. They are a significant source of energy in the diet. Carbohydrates are grouped into two main categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars and complex carbohydrates comprise cellulose (starches and fiber). Carbohydrates are present naturally in foods such as fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, and milk and dairy products. Food products such as frosted cereals, soft drinks (such as soda pops, fruit-juice based beverages and punches) and desserts (candy, cookies, cakes, and pies) are very rich in sugars.


Lactic acid - a by-product of high-intensity (or anaerobic) exercise that builds up in muscle tissues and causes soreness, stiffness, and fatigue.


Basophils - white blood cells that, when joined to IgE antibodies (immunoglobulin E antibodies that are involved in allergic reactions like hayfever) produce histamine or additional substances that bring about allergic symptoms.


Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - a U.S government agency, including 11 centers, institutes and offices, that has the objective of promoting physical fitness and improve standards of living by taking measures to prevent and control illness, physical injury and disability.


VO2 Max - The maximum amount of oxygen an individual is able to expend during exercise. This figure is commonly used to determine an individual`s potential in competitive sports that demand high endurance.


Monounsaturated Fat - fat made up almost entirely of monounsaturated fatty acids (currently viewed as being `healthier` than other dietary fats). Fats found in foods are various blends of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SAFAs). Monounsaturated fat is present in canola and peanut oil, olive oil and olives, nuts, seeds, and avocados. The intake of food that includes a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat instead of saturated fats may help lower cholesterol and reduce coronary disease risk. Nevertheless, this fat has the identical number of calories as other classes of fat, and may still contribute to weight gain if eaten in excess.


Aspartame - a low calorie artificial sweetener much used in a multitude of foods and beverages and also as a packaged sweetener at eateries. Aspartame contains 4 calories for every gram but since, in the same measure (such as 1 teaspoon), it is 200 times sugar, a miniscule quantity of aspartame is required to sufficiently sweeten foods, and consequently adds hardly any calories to food items.


Organic - in the sphere of crop cultivation, describes agricultural produce that are cultivated by means of cultural, biological, and mechanical techniques prior to the use of manmade, non-organic agents to prevent pest infestation, improve soil quality and / or improve the processing of agricultural produce. The USDA is presently defining the criteria for organic products, with official rules for what may be deemed organic.


Sibutramine - also referred to by its brand name, Meridia, a medical drug used together with a reduced-calorie diet program to help obese individuals get slimmer and help to keep the pounds off. This medical drug is approved for individuals whose body mass index (BMI) is at a minimum of 30. Patients with congruent risk factors, for example diabetes or high blood pressure, can also be treated with the medication when their BMI is 27 or higher. It could cause higher blood pressure and a faster pulse rate. While patients are taking sibutramine, their doctor will check out their blood pressure and heart rate at regular visits. People with chronic high blood pressure should not be on this drug. Other adverse effects entail dry mouth, headaches, constipation, sleeplessness, nervous tension, unusual annoyance or irritability, apprehension, runny or stuffy nose, or difficulty with getting enough sleep.


Pesticide - generic term for a wide category of chemical agents that protect plants, grouped into four major classes: insecticides, to kill insects or control insect infestation; herbicides, used to control weeds; rodenticides, used to control rats and other rodent pests; and fungicides, used to control mildew, mold, and fungi.


Internal Obliques - the group of muscles that run under both sides of the abdominal muscles, allowing twisting and flexing at the waist. Internal obliques are located under the external obliques.