Activity 5A: Fat Minder®: How to Keep an Energy Balance

Students will create a personalized model of human body fat using clay, plaster of Paris, and silicone caulking. Once the model is complete, students will measure the mass of their Fat Minder® and determine how many calories they would have to take in to store a mass of body fat equal to the mass of the Fat Minder®. Next, students will examine how much exercise they would have to do to in order for their body to use a mass of body fat equal to the mass of the Fat Minder®. Finally, as a lead-in to hydrodensitometry, students will measure the volume and calculate density of their Fat Minder®. The Fat Minder® is then glued onto coasters to serve as a reminder to “keep an energy balance”.

Objectives:

Measure mass and volume of their Fat Minder®
Calculate density of their Fat Minder®
Calculate calories used during a given amount of exercise
Determine how much exercise would be required to lose a mass of body fat equal to the mass of their Fat Minder®
Calculate calories contained in a given amount of food
Determine how much food would be required to gain a mass of body fat equal to the mass of their Fat Minder®
Describe how to keep an energy balance to manage body weight