Belly Fat Belly Fat and Metabolism 2

Question 1

What is the 'thermic effect of food' (TEF)?

Accepted Answer

The calories burned to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients you eat

Answer

TEF accounts for about 10% of total daily calorie expenditure and represents the energy your body uses to break down and process macronutrients, with protein having the highest TEF.

Question 2

Why does higher protein intake support a faster metabolism compared to carbohydrates or fat?

Accepted Answer

Protein has the highest thermic effect and helps preserve muscle mass, keeping metabolic rate elevated

Answer

Protein's thermic effect is 20–30%, far exceeding carbohydrates (5–10%) and fat (0–3%), and its muscle-sparing effect sustains the metabolically active tissue that drives resting metabolism.

Question 3

What is Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)?

Accepted Answer

Energy expended through all daily movements outside deliberate exercise, such as fidgeting and walking

Answer

NEAT encompasses all physical activity beyond planned exercise, and research shows it can vary by up to 2,000 calories per day between individuals, making it a major factor in belly fat management.

Question 4

What happens to basal metabolic rate during prolonged calorie restriction?

Accepted Answer

It decreases through metabolic adaptation as the body conserves energy

Answer

Prolonged calorie restriction triggers metabolic adaptation—sometimes called 'starvation mode'—where the body lowers BMR to conserve energy, making further fat loss progressively harder.

Question 5

Which type of fat tissue is most metabolically active and contributes to calorie burning?

Accepted Answer

Brown adipose tissue (BAT)

Answer

Brown adipose tissue contains a high density of mitochondria and generates heat through thermogenesis, burning calories in the process, unlike white fat which primarily stores energy.

Belly Fat Practice Test

Belly Fat Practice Test

Belly Fat Belly Fat and Metabolism 2