BIOLOGICAL APPLICATION The metabolic rate is defined as

Chapter , Problem 14

(choose chapter or problem)

BIOLOGICAL APPLICATION The metabolic rate is defined as the rate at which the body uses chemical energy to sustain its life functions. The average metabolic rate has been found to be proportional to the total skin surface area of the body. The surface 5000N 10m 50 kg area for a 5-ft, 10-in. male weighing is about and for a 5-ft, 4-in. female weighing it is approximately There is about a 1 percent change in surface area for every three pounds above or below the weights quoted here and a 1 percent change for every inch above or below the heights quoted. (a) Estimate your average metabolic rate over the course of a day using the following guide for metabolic rates (per square meter of skin area) for various physical activities: sleeping, sitting, walking, moderate physical activity, and moderate aerobic exercise, How do your results compare to the power of a 100-W light bulb? (b) Express your average metabolic rate in terms of kcal/day (A kcal is the food calorie used by nutritionists.) (c) An estimate used by nutritionists is that each day the average person must eat roughly 1215 kcal of food for each pound of body weight to maintain his or her weight. From the calculations in Part (b), are these estimates plausible?