3.2 Metabolism For Life Skills
What is metabolism? We eat food so that we will have energy. Have you ever noticed that you get really tired when you’re hungry? Have you noticed that you get very hungry when you’re having a growth spurt? Metabolism is the process of how your body turns food into energy. Your body needs the energy from food to keep doing all of its normal functions and to grow.
Food is Fuel Our bodies use food as a fuel to give us the energy we need. Cars use gas a fuel. Have you heard of “fuel efficiency”? Fuel efficiency is a lot like metabolism. A fast metabolism is like a Hummer, it uses lots of fuel. A slow metabolism is like a Golf.
Fast or Slow? A person with a “fast” metabolism needs to eat a lot of food, because his/her body uses lots of energy very quickly. A person with a “slow” metabolism needs a small amount of food, because his/her body uses up the energy from food more slowly.
Which is better? It depends on your goal. Just like with most qualities people have, each has its advantage. A fast metabolism means that you can eat tons of food without getting overweight. It also means that you probably get hungry all the time. A slow metabolism means that you will gain weight easily if you overeat, but you can survive with much less food. If I were stranded in the desert, I would much rather have a slow metabolism. If I were trying to eat a lot and stay thin, I would hope for a fast one.
RMR Test While you work on a reading and questions, I will be running the RMR test. This is a machine that can tell how much energy you need (measured by calories) by finding out how much oxygen your body uses. The result will show how many calories of energy your body uses every day.
Let’s find out more. The packet in front of you is from an article on metabolism on from the Teens’ section. section Read the questions on your worksheet first. Then read the article and underline the answers when you find them. Try to put the answers into your own words on the worksheet (don’t just copy).