The Law of Conservation of Energy: Unveiling the Ultimate Secret of Obesity and Consumption

2.2.1 What is the law of conservation of energy?

In 1853, Mayer, Joule, and Helmholtz proposed the law of conservation of energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another, or transferred from one object to another. During this transformation or transfer, the total amount of energy remains constant. The human body's energy needs are equal to its energy consumption; this is the law of conservation of energy.

Energy is neither created nor unchanged; it is constantly transforming. Energy must originate from what we ingest and be converted into physical energy. What do humans rely on to live? Energy!

Humans consume energy from food to sustain all life activities and engage in labor and social activities. While the body uses energy for work, it also releases heat to maintain body temperature. If the body's energy intake is insufficient, it will draw upon its own energy reserves and even consume its own tissues to meet the energy needs of life activities. If a person is in a state of prolonged hunger, they will experience stunted growth and development, emaciation, loss of vitality, and even death from the cessation of vital functions. Conversely, if energy intake is excessive, almost all of it is converted into fat, except for a small amount stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles.

2.2.2 The Relationship Between Energy Conservation and Obesity

When energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, the daily fat accumulation is obviously positive. Apart from being stored in the form of liver and muscle glycogen, it is almost entirely converted into fat and stored in the body's fat stores.

Besides visible forms like exercise, labor, training, and work, energy expenditure also includes basal metabolism, the thermic effect of food, and growth and development in specific populations. Basal metabolism refers to the energy an individual uses to maintain vital functions such as heartbeat, circulation, respiration, and body temperature. People who can eat a lot without gaining weight usually have a higher basal metabolism, meaning they expend more energy. A person's basal metabolic rate is generally determined by genetics (though it can sometimes be altered by illness). In other words, some people are naturally "fuel-intensive," like a high-performance car, while others are naturally fuel-efficient. Traveling the same distance, the former burns more calories than the latter, making them less prone to excess energy (weight gain).

Based on Newton's law of conservation of energy, a high basal metabolic rate, high energy consumption, high oil consumption, and the ability to eat a lot without gaining weight are all relative. As long as you eat enough, everyone will gain weight.

For example, some girls mistakenly believe that drinking soda will make them fat, but that's not necessarily true! Weight gain is related to one's diet and exercise habits. As long as you follow the body's energy conservation principle, even if you love drinking soda, you can still be a "hot girl"!

What drinks are most popular at Fashion Week? Surprisingly, it's soda! Aren't they worried about gaining weight? Actually, a regular 330ml can of soda contains about 142kcal. Those who usually take the elevator can walk a few floors or park further away and walk to their destination, easily avoiding weight gain. Supermodels walk to more than two brand shows a day, often standing and walking for up to 10 hours, so drinking a moderate amount of soda with sufficient exercise won't lead to weight gain.

Whether or not we are obese depends on the balance between the total amount of energy we consume from food and the total amount of energy we expend through exercise each day, not on soda or any single food that causes us to be overweight.

Understanding the Body's Energy Balance

Maintaining a good figure is a lifelong pursuit for most women. Besides paying close attention to the energy content of food, it's also important to follow the body's energy conservation principle. When energy intake equals energy expenditure, there's no need to worry about gaining weight. If energy intake is less than energy expenditure, then enjoy being slim! Of course, if energy intake exceeds energy expenditure, be careful as fat may be accumulating unnoticed.

Calories burned in 60 minutes of various exercises:

Shopping 110 calories, cycling 184 calories, driving 82 calories, playing tennis 352 calories, watching a movie 66 calories, walking the dog 130 calories, hiking 240 calories, doing aerobic exercise 252 calories, boxing 450 calories, reading 88 calories, working 76 calories, playing golf 186 calories, watching TV 72 calories, playing billiards 300 calories, horseback riding 276 calories, skiing 354 calories, flower arranging 114 calories, traveling Swimming 1036 calories, bathing 168 calories, ironing clothes 120 calories, washing dishes 136 calories, climbing stairs 480 calories, washing clothes 114 calories, cleaning 228 calories, skipping rope 448 calories, taking a nap 48 calories, dancing 300 calories, walking slowly 255 calories, walking briskly 300 calories, jogging 555 calories, running 700 calories, physical training 300 calories, fitness and weight loss exercises 300 calories, practicing martial arts 790 calories.

So why do some people eat a lot but not gain weight? The reason lies in energy expenditure, because body weight (fat) actually reflects the balance between energy intake (food) and energy expenditure (activity and basal metabolism). If you eat a lot of food but also expend a lot of energy, you won't gain fat.

To lose weight, we need to reduce our daily fat storage to a negative value, decreasing our daily calorie intake while increasing our daily calorie expenditure. That is...

Daily calorie intake < Daily calorie expenditure

The following are articles 11 through 20, which are further divided from the main text.