Amanda went on a crash diet in order to look terrific for a friend's wedding. She consumed only 800 calories per day compared to the 3,000 calories per day she normally consumed. After the wedding, she found that she rapidly passed up her original weight by ten pounds, even though she was eating 2,500 calories per day instead of her original 3,000. What's going on here?
A) Amanda must have reduced her activity level substantially.
B) Amanda's metabolism must have slowed down too much because of her dramatic restriction of calories.
C) Amanda must be cheating. There is no way this could happen if she ate 2,500 calories per day.
D) Everybody gets larger when they get older.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Amanda's crash diet likely slowed down her metabolism as her body tried to conserve energy. When she returned to eating a higher calorie diet, her body may have still been in conservation mode, leading her to gain weight despite eating fewer calories than before. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as "metabolic adaptation" and can be a common challenge for people who have lost weight through dieting. Choice A is possible but not definitively supported by the information given. Choice C is unlikely and unsupported by the information given. Choice D is not supported by the information given and is a generalization that does not apply universally.

Amanda Went on a Crash Diet in Order to Look