Weight Management & Metabolism Quiz

Question 1

What does BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) measure?

Accepted Answer

The number of calories the body needs at complete rest to maintain basic bodily functions

Answer

The maximum number of calories burned during intense exercise

Answer

The rate at which the body converts carbohydrates to fat

Answer

The efficiency with which the body absorbs nutrients from food

Question 2

What does a calorie deficit mean, and why is it the basic principle behind weight loss?

Accepted Answer

Consuming fewer calories than the body expends, causing the body to draw on stored energy (fat) for fuel

Answer

Eating fewer calories than a specific target number, regardless of activity level

Answer

Cutting all fats and sugars from the diet completely

Answer

Eating only nutrient-dense foods with no calorie-dense foods

Question 3

BMI (Body Mass Index) is calculated as weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. What are the limitations of BMI as a health measure?

Accepted Answer

It cannot distinguish between fat mass and muscle mass, and doesn't account for fat distribution, ethnicity, age, or sex

Answer

It is only accurate for people aged 18-40

Answer

It only measures body fat percentage, not overall health

Answer

It is completely accurate and has no meaningful limitations

Question 4

The 'thermic effect of food' (TEF) refers to:

Accepted Answer

The energy the body expends digesting, absorbing, and metabolising food — typically 10% of total calories

Answer

The way spicy food temporarily raises body temperature

Answer

The way heat from cooking changes the calorie content of food

Answer

The increase in metabolism caused by eating more frequently throughout the day

Question 5

Leptin and ghrelin are hormones that regulate appetite. Which correctly describes each?

Accepted Answer

Leptin is produced by fat cells and signals fullness/satiety; ghrelin is produced by the stomach and signals hunger

Answer

Leptin increases hunger; ghrelin reduces hunger

Answer

Both leptin and ghrelin increase hunger — they work together

Answer

Leptin is released after exercise; ghrelin is released after sleep

Question 6

Visceral fat is considered more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. What is visceral fat and why is it harmful?

Accepted Answer

Fat stored around the internal organs (liver, pancreas, intestines) — it is metabolically active and releases inflammatory chemicals

Answer

Fat stored under the skin — it is harmful because it prevents heat dissipation

Answer

Fat stored in muscle tissue — it reduces muscle efficiency and causes insulin resistance

Answer

Fat stored in the face and extremities — it indicates hormonal imbalance

Question 7

Which macronutrient is most effective at promoting satiety (fullness) per calorie?

Accepted Answer

Protein

Answer

Fat

Answer

Carbohydrates

Answer

Fibre (technically a carbohydrate but functionally distinct)

Question 8

What is 'metabolic adaptation' (also called adaptive thermogenesis)?

Accepted Answer

The reduction in metabolic rate that occurs in response to calorie restriction, making further weight loss increasingly difficult

Answer

The process by which muscles become more efficient at burning fat during exercise

Answer

The gradual improvement in metabolic health as a result of sustained healthy eating

Answer

The body's increase in metabolic rate after a period of overeating

Question 9

The keto (ketogenic) diet is very low in carbohydrates. What metabolic state does it aim to achieve?

Accepted Answer

Ketosis — where the liver produces ketone bodies from fat as an alternative fuel when glucose is scarce

Answer

Gluconeogenesis — where the liver makes glucose from protein

Answer

Autophagy — where the body recycles damaged cellular components for energy

Answer

Lipolysis — where fat cells release stored fatty acids into the bloodstream

Question 10

Muscle mass is important for metabolic health. Approximately how many more calories per day does 1 kg of muscle burn compared to 1 kg of fat?

Accepted Answer

1 kg of muscle burns about 13 calories/day at rest vs. about 4-5 calories/day for fat

Answer

1 kg of muscle burns about 5 times more than fat at rest

Answer

They burn approximately the same amount — the difference is negligible

Answer

1 kg of muscle burns 100 times more calories than fat at rest

Question 11

Intermittent fasting (IF) involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. Which of these is the most commonly practised IF protocol?

Accepted Answer

The 16:8 method — fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window daily

Answer

The 5:2 method — eating normally five days, then eating nothing for two days

Answer

Alternate day fasting — eating normally one day, then fasting completely the next

Answer

The OMAD (one meal a day) protocol — consuming all calories in a single daily meal

Question 12

What is the difference between weight loss and fat loss?

Accepted Answer

Weight loss is any reduction in total body weight (which can include water, muscle, and fat); fat loss specifically refers to reduction in body fat stores

Answer

They are the same thing — losing weight always means losing fat

Answer

Weight loss refers to losing water weight; fat loss requires exercise

Answer

Fat loss can only be achieved through surgery; weight loss can be achieved through diet

Question 13

Which of the following is the most evidence-based long-term weight management strategy?

Accepted Answer

Sustainable lifestyle changes — modest calorie reduction, regular physical activity, behaviour change, and adequate sleep — maintained over years

Answer

Strict calorie counting and eliminating all processed foods permanently

Answer

Short-term intensive diets followed by maintenance phases

Answer

Using meal replacement shakes for the majority of meals indefinitely

Question 14

Sleep deprivation affects weight management. How does poor sleep promote weight gain?

Accepted Answer

It increases cortisol, raises ghrelin (hunger hormone), lowers leptin (satiety hormone), and promotes cravings for calorie-dense foods

Answer

It primarily reduces motivation to exercise but has no direct metabolic effects

Answer

It slows metabolism so dramatically that weight gain is inevitable regardless of diet

Answer

It only affects weight in people who are already overweight

Question 15

What is NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) and why is it important for weight management?

Accepted Answer

All energy expended through physical movement outside of sleeping, eating, and formal exercise — including walking, standing, fidgeting, and daily tasks

Answer

The number of calories burned during formal exercise sessions only

Answer

The metabolic rate during non-fasting periods of the day

Answer

The difference between active and resting metabolic rate

Question 16

Which measurement is considered a more reliable indicator of metabolic health risk than BMI alone?

Accepted Answer

Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio

Answer

Body weight in kilograms

Answer

Total cholesterol level

Answer

Percentage of calories from fat in the diet

Question 17

The insulin hormone plays a central role in metabolism and weight. What is insulin's primary role after eating carbohydrates?

Accepted Answer

To allow cells to take up glucose from the blood, lowering blood sugar — and to promote fat storage when glucose is abundant

Answer

To signal the liver to produce more glucose for energy

Answer

To break down stored glycogen in the liver into glucose

Answer

To stimulate the release of glucagon to balance blood sugar

Question 18

Which hormone, often called the 'metabolic regulator,' directly controls how fast cells burn energy?

Accepted Answer

Thyroid hormone (T3/T4)

Answer

Insulin

Answer

Cortisol

Answer

Human growth hormone

Question 19

Research shows that weight cycling ('yo-yo dieting') may be harmful. What are its documented effects?

Accepted Answer

It may increase cardiovascular disease risk, reduce muscle mass over time, and make subsequent weight loss harder due to metabolic adaptation

Answer

It is completely harmless — the body fully resets to normal after each cycle

Answer

It only affects mental health — physical health effects are minimal

Answer

It is beneficial because each cycle provides practice for sustainable weight loss

Question 20

What is the most important factor for long-term weight maintenance after successful weight loss?

Accepted Answer

Regular physical activity — particularly high volume of moderate-intensity exercise

Answer

Continuing to count calories indefinitely

Answer

Eating only low-fat foods permanently

Answer

Periodic fasting to counteract any weight regain