Sid has recently begun dieting to lose weight. He has significantly reduced his caloric intake, but has not changed his activity level. According to set-point theory, what might we expect to happen?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Set-point theory suggests that the body has a genetically predetermined weight range and that any attempts to deviate from this range will cause the body to respond by adjusting appetite and metabolic rate to maintain the original weight. Since Sid has reduced his caloric intake but not changed his activity level, his body will interpret this as a period of food scarcity and will attempt to conserve energy by decreasing his metabolic rate and increasing his appetite to help maintain his current weight. Therefore, we can expect that Sid's appetite will increase and his metabolic rate will decrease to help maintain his current weight.

Sid Has Recently Begun Dieting to Lose Weight