2018-01

Body Weight Control: An Engineering Perspective

Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research, 050030 Medellin, Colombia
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11071.20644

Abstract

In this report, the control of the human body weight is considered from an engineering
perspective, by assuming that the body works as a mechanical engine, and thus, applying
engineering principles for controlling its weight. As a result, a general approach for body
weight control is proposed which first identifies the particular behavior of each individual, and
then acts only on the average daily amount of food ingested, without changing the particular
diet (food combination) of the individual or the daily physical activity. These ideas do not
intend to replace any nutritional program or medical recommendation. On the contrary, it is
recommended to implement healthy diets and physical activity programs under the supervision
of a physician and/or nutritionist, before starting any body weight control initiative.

Keywords

Body weight, Calories, Control, Diet, Engine, Engineering, Exercise, Food, Fuel.

1. Introduction: The Human Body as an Engine

Human body weight control (weight loss and weight maintenance) has been an important
issue not only from a health and nutrition point of view,[1] but also from a sociocultural point
of view.[2] Many different strategies for weight control (especially weight loss) have been
proposed,[3] most of which become highly popular especially at the beginning of each year.[4]
Unfortunately, most approaches either have a relatively low success rate, or are not
sustainable in time, leading to undesirable yo-yo effects.[5] The main reason behind
unsuccessful results is the lack of understanding of the mechanisms of operation of the human
body, and the corresponding paradigms on which most weight-control approaches (usually
denoted as “diets”) are based.

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

One of those paradigms includes the modern interpretation of diet as: “a regimen of eating
and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight”, instead of its original definition as: “food
and drink regularly provided or consumed” or “habitual nourishment”.[6] Thus, if you consider
the “diet” as something temporary instead of a long-term way of living, it is highly probable
that you will end up later gaining the weight lost during the “diet”, going back to your previous
equilibrium state. You should also avoid relating the word “diet” with concepts such as “low
calories” or “weight loss”. The term diet used in this report refers to the long-term, regular
combination of food and drinks consumed by an individual, and not to temporary alterations in
eating and drinking habits.

The purpose of the present report is to provide some insights on how to control the body
weight in a healthy and successful way, by means of a mechanistic understanding of the
operation of the human body. Such mechanistic approach is based on the analogy of the
human body to an “engine”, and thus, it will be discussed from an engineering perspective.

An engine is defined as a machine for converting any of various forms of energy into
mechanical force and motion.[7] The human body consumes food (chemical energy) and
transforms it into heat (thermal energy), mechanical forces and motion, and therefore, it can
be considered (in a very simplistic way) as an engine. Imagine that the human body can be
represented by the system depicted in Figure 1. Such system is composed of storage tanks (for
fuel, service fluid and oxygen), reactors (fuel conditioning and combustion chamber), a heat
exchanger for temperature control, and a power generation unit which is responsible for
mechanical work and motion.

Figure 1. Simple representation of the operation of the human body as a mechanical system
(“engine”).

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

The weight of the human body system is composed of the structural weight (bones, muscles,
organs, etc.) and the variable storage weight (fat, water, and oxygen). The storage capacity of
the ready-to-use fuel (corresponding to the fuel present in the blood) is negligible compared to
the storage capacity of the raw fuel tank. Additionally, the storage capacity of oxygen is limited
by the lung capacity, and its weight is also negligible. In this context, the fuel corresponds to
food and beverages (without considering water). In order to change the weight of the body (in
adults), only the storage weight will be considered to change, whereas the structural weight
will remain constant. Thus, body weight control is considered to be equivalent to level control
in storage tanks.

This report is organized as follows: In Section 2 the control of the human body weight is
discussed from the perspective of control engineering. In Section 3, the human “engine” is
analyzed from the perspective of chemical engineering. In Section 4, the thermal operation of
the human “engine” is explained from the perspective of mechanical engineering. Finally, in
Section 5, a method inspired on engineering concepts is proposed for body weight control.
Please, take into account that the proposed ideas do not intend to replace any nutritional
program but only to help adapt it to the particular metabolism of each individual, trying to
improve the success rate of weight control initiatives. It is also not intended to modify the type
or frequency of food consumed in the regular diet, but only the average daily intake. In any
case, remember that you should always consult your physician or nutritionist before making
any change in your regular diet or physical activity program. Hopefully, the information and
opinions presented in this report may help provide some insights on how to efficiently and
successfully control the body weight.

2. The Control Engineering Perspective

The main goal of any body weight control approach is to reach and maintain the body weight at
a desired set point value, which is the main objective and expertise of control engineers.[8]
Thus, the basic principles of process control are also valid for body weight control. Some of
these principles include:[9] Understanding the dynamic system (each dynamic system is
different), measuring your control variable, acting on your system, and minimizing disturbances
and their effects as much as possible. Let us explore a little bit further these ideas.

2.1. Understanding the System

You need to understand all cause-effect relationships existing in the system in order to achieve
your goal. It is important to identify which variables have a significant effect on the variable to
be controlled, and within those variables, it is important to identify which variables can be

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

manipulated and which variables cannot (or will not) be manipulated. Changes in the latter will
be denoted as disturbances.

Some relevant variables affecting the weight include: Amount and frequency of food and
beverages intake (denoted in this report as the fuel feed policy), type of food and beverages
consumed (fuel quality), type and amount of daily physical and intellectual activities (fuel
demand), and environmental conditions (temperature, weather, etc.). The fuel quality together
with the fuel feed policy corresponds to the diet.

It is important understanding that all dynamic systems behave differently, and that there is no
one single “magic” recipe for everyone. Each body has its own different metabolism and that is
why you need to identify your own relevant factors affecting your weight.

2.2. Measuring your Control Variable

You cannot control what you do not measure. If your goal is controlling your weight, you will
need to measure it frequently. You should also try to minimize noise in your measurement as
much as possible; thus, you should:

 Always use the same measurement instrument. Periodically, check that it is correctly
calibrated.
 Always weigh yourself at the same hour of the day. Body weight fluctuates during the
24 hours of the day, so it is a good idea to choose a specific time as reference.
 Reduce fluctuations in the weight of your clothes and accessories. If possible, try to use
the same clothes (or at least very similar) when taking your weight.
 If possible, do not eat or drink anything at least 2 hours before your measurement. This
will reduce the fluctuation caused by the weight of your food and beverages intake.
One good alternative is weighing just after waking up.
 Keep a constant daily water intake policy (amount and frequency). Please consult your
physician or nutritionist about your own optimal water intake policy.

2.3. Acting on your System

If you do not act, you will be operating in an “open loop”,[10] and therefore, you will only reach
your target by chance. For a “closed loop” operation, you should act by changing at least one
relevant manipulable variable, from those variables previously identified in Section 2.1.

2.4. Minimizing Disturbances

Avoid disturbances as much as possible. Even though you cannot avoid all disturbances, you
can try to minimize their effects. Acting on the system as soon as you detect a disturbance is a

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

control strategy known as “feedforward” control.[10] If you wait until the disturbance changes
your weight before taking any action, you will be doing “feedback” control. Usually the best
approach is the combination of both feedback and feedforward strategies; thus, you can act
after detecting a disturbance or after detecting a weight change.

All these principles of control engineering are necessary for achieving a good control of your
weight. At this point you may ask: Why do you need to control your weight? Why does not your
own body do it by itself? Actually, the human body is equipped with its own weight control
system. Such control system is based on unconscious complex biochemical mechanisms
involving different chemical signals with hormones such as leptin and insulin.[11] However,
genetic mutations and environmental factors have led to alterations in the correct operation of
the internal weight control system.[12] Consider for example the response of the body to
seasonal food availability. In ancient times, the human body adapted to food scarcity in winter
by accumulating fat during the seasons of food abundance. Today, human technological
advances have minimized the problem of food scarcity during winter but some human
metabolisms have not yet adapted to this new condition and continue to accumulate fat all
year round, leading to obesity. As long as the internal weight control system of an individual is
not adapted to our modern world, it would be necessary to provide additional external weight
control strategies in order to maintain a healthy weight. However, these external control
strategies need to be non-aggressive, long-term strategies, or otherwise the internal weight
control will drive the body unconsciously to return to its original weight.[12]

Finally, you need to “fine tune” you own external weight control method, as any control
engineer would do when facing the problem of controlling any dynamical system.

3. The Chemical Engineering Perspective

As it was previously mentioned in Section 1, the goal of keeping the human body weight at an
optimum value,§ can be interpreted as keeping the levels of storage tanks at their optimum
levels.

Now, in order to gain a better understanding of the system (Figure 1), let us discuss in detail
some of its parts. The core of such engine is the combustion chamber, which is actually a
chemical reactor where the following general exothermic reaction takes place:

(3.1)

§
Please remember to ask your physician or nutritionist about your recommended optimum body weight.

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

The combustion products will depend on the chemical composition of the combustible
compounds in the fuel, the waste products correspond to the non-combustible materials in the
fuel, and the heat and electricity are the energy and electrons released during the reaction.

Even though the overall reaction taking place in the human body during cell respiration
corresponds to the reaction described in Eq. (3.1) which is stoichiometrically and
thermodynamically equivalent to combustion, it is actually the result of a complex series of
controlled biochemical reactions involving many different compounds, known as the Krebs
cycle (or citric acid cycle),[13] and it is not the result of an uncontrolled chain reaction, as is the
case of combustion. By means of the Krebs cycle, the cells are able to control and handle the
large amount of energy that would be released by the combustion reaction, while also
releasing useful electrons in the process. Cellular energy management is performed by means
of the reversible transformation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate),[14] whereas electron release
is achieved by means of redox reactions (e.g. oxidative phosphorylation) involving compounds
such as NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) coenzyme.[15,16]

Now, let us consider in particular the energetics of overall reactions taking place with some
specific combustible molecules (carbohydrates, fats and aminoacids) that can be used as fuel
by the cells:

Glucose:

(3.2)

Glycerol:

(3.3)

Fatty acid (stearic acid):

(3.4)

Glycine:

(3.5)

where is the specific enthalpy of reaction (per gram of the corresponding combustible
molecule), which represents the amount of energy involved in the reaction, and it is negative

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

when the reaction is exothermic (heat is released). The enthalpy of reaction is determined by
summing the enthalpy of formation of the different products and subtracting the enthalpy of
formation of the reactants.[17]

Similarly, the fuel conditioning unit represented in Figure 1 corresponds to a reactor where
some materials are decomposed into suitable combustible molecules. Some examples of such
decomposition reactions include the hydrolysis of polysaccharides, triglycerides and proteins:

( )

(3.6)

( )

(3.7)

( )

(3.8)

Even though the hydrolysis reactions are also exothermic, their energy contribution is
negligible compared to the heat released by “combustion”.

Although many other reactions take place, Eq. (3.2) to (3.8) are the most representative for
understanding the dynamics of body weight. Please notice that “combustion” reactions yield
combustion products (water, carbon dioxide, ammonia) that leave the body. Thus, by means of
cell respiration the body obtains energy while at the same time loses weight.

An overall mass balance of the system depicted in Figure 1 can be expressed as:

∑ ∑

(3.9)

where is the total weight of the system; is the structural weight of the system,
which can be considered to be constant for adults; is the mass of fuel in the body,
including raw fuel and ready-to-use fuel; is the total mass of water in the body; is the
total mass of oxygen in the body, which on average remains practically constant;
represents the input mass flowrate for each of the existing inputs; and represents the
output mass flowrate for each of the existing outputs.

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

Neglecting the derivatives of and in Eq. (3.9) results in:

∑ ∑

(3.10)

Eq. (3.10) indicates that in order to reduce weight, the input flowrates should decrease, or the
output flowrates should increase, or both. On the other hand, in order to increase weight, the
input flowrates should increase, or the output flowrates should decrease, or both. And finally,
in order to keep a constant weight, the total input flowrate should exactly match the total
output flowrate:

∑ ∑

(3.11)

The total input flowrate can be expressed in terms of the overall input flowrate of each
component as:

(3.12)

where inerts represent those compounds which do not participate in the cell respiration
process nor accumulate in the body on a timescale of a few days (e.g. Nitrogen, insoluble
dietary fiber, etc.). Thus, for inerts:

(3.13)

Given that oxygen do not accumulate in the body, and that oxygen is consumed according to
the general expression given in Eq. (3.1), then:

(3.14)

where represents the stoichiometric coefficient of oxygen in the fuel combustion reaction,
is the molecular weight of oxygen, is the average molecular weight of
fuel, is the mass rate of fuel consumption by combustion, and ̂ is the mass of

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

oxygen consumed per unit mass of fuel. ̂ may take values between about and ,
**
depending on the type of fuel consumed.

Oxygen is continuously supplied by inhalation (inspiration) of air by the lungs. Fuel, on the
other hand, normally enter the body through the digestive system in the form of food and
beverages (other than pure water), or even by other not so common means such as
intravenous supply. In general, oxygen is the limiting reactant in the fuel combustion process.
Excess fuel can then be stored as fat (equivalent to the raw fuel storage tank), or it can also
exit the system as waste.

Water usually enters the body along with the fuel as part of food and beverages (including pure
water), but it can also enter the body by absorption through the skin. On the other hand, water
can exit as waste, but also through the skin, either by transpiration or by drying. Water usually
remains in equilibrium with the solid components of the structure of the system. This can be
expressed as:

(3.15)

where is the equilibrium constant of water in the body. The value of may vary
depending on the age, gender, and other genetic and environmental factors. Thus, for an adult:

(3.16)

Water consumption should always be kept at an optimum level, †† because both extremes of
water consumption can be dangerous.[18]

With all these considerations at hand, Eq. (3.10) becomes:

̂
(3.17)

where represents the fuel absorption efficiency ( ), which depends on the

composition of the fuel, and on the specific degree of absorption of each component of the
fuel.

**
̂ kg / kg glucose; ̂ kg / kg stearic acid; ̂ kg / kg glycine
††
Consult your physician or nutritionist in order to know your recommended optimum daily water
consumption level.

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

A steady-state condition will then be attained when:

(3.18)

Even though Eq. (3.18) is relatively simple, and are usually unknown and frequently
changing. However, the most important conclusion is that fuel intake should be coupled with
oxygen intake (which is related to the overall activity of the body) if a steady-state condition is
desired.

In order to get an idea of the magnitude of , let us calculate the maximum flowrate of
oxygen in human adults. Consider an average tidal volume of a human adult of about
liters,[19] and a respiratory rate of breaths per minute ( breaths per day). The total
volume of air inhaled daily is about . Given that air at ambient conditions behave
as an ideal gas, the total amount of air daily inhaled is about , from which
approximately are oxygen molecules ( ). Assuming that all oxygen
molecules inhaled are used by the body, then the input flowrate of oxygen is ,
which corresponds to the combustion of of glucose. The actual fraction of
oxygen molecules used for combustion, however, might be only about .

Even if you are at rest, the cells in your body do not stop working and continue consuming fuel
as long as you are alive. This fuel consumption is known as the basal metabolism.[20] If
additional activities are performed which demand extra fuel consumption, the respiration rate
should increase in order to burn the additional fuel, and thus, the mass lost by respiration will
also increase. Demanding fuel consumptions beyond the maximum rate of fuel combustion
that oxygen from respiration is able to provide can be dangerous for the health, as some basic
functions of the body might be compromised.

4. The Mechanical Engineering Perspective

In this Section, let us consider the energetics of the human body “engine”. An energy balance
for this system can be expressed as:

∑ ∑ ̇ ̇ ̇

(4.1)

where is the total energy of the system, represents the specific enthalpy for each mass
flow, is the overall heat of reaction per unit mass of fuel, ̇ is the net heat

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

transferred to the system by radiation, ̇ is the net heat transferred to the system by
convection, and ̇ is the net work done by the system towards the environment.

Assuming that the change in total energy of the system corresponds to a change in enthalpy
with no phase change, that there are no significant differences in enthalpy between the input
and output flows (other than the heat of reaction), that the heat capacity of the system
remains practically constant, and that the heat transferred by convection can be expressed in
terms of a global heat transfer coefficient , then the energy balance becomes:

( ( ))

( ) ̇ ( ) ̇

(4.2)

where is the temperature of the body, is a reference temperature, is the total

convection heat transfer surface, and is ambient temperature.

Simplifying Eq. (4.2) results in:

̇ ( ) ̇

(4.3)

Let us now do some example calculations for determining the orders of magnitude of each
energy term:

 Fuel combustion: Assuming that, on average, the equivalent of of glucose are

consumed daily by a certain body, the energy released from the combustion reaction
will correspond to about .
 Heat transfer by radiation: Assuming a solar irradiance of ,[21] a body with
an average daily exposure of minutes, and considering a total surface of will
receive about . Please notice that this energy increases the body
temperature but do not provide electricity as the consumption of fuel does. In this
case, radiation emitted by the human body has been neglected.
 Heat transfer by convection: Considering a natural convective heat transfer coefficient
of for a naked body [22] at with a surface of in a room at
ambient temperature of , the heat lost by convection is about . The
same body with insulating clothes will lose only about .
 Mechanical work: For this item, let us consider two different scenarios. First, let us
assume that you run a marathon at constant speed. As a simple approximation,

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

you must apply a force equal to the friction at your feet in order to keep a constant
speed. For a body weight of , and a friction coefficient of 0.55,[23] the force that
must be applied is about . Thus, in this case the work done in the marathon is
about (corresponding to burning about of glucose). Although this is a
very simple approximation, the most important result is that the work done in the
marathon is independent of the speed, as long as it is constant all the time. The
difference is in the power. The higher the speed, the larger the power requirement and
the larger the wear on the body. On the other hand let us consider a weightlifter lifting
up to above the ground. In this case, the work done is
(corresponding to burning about of glucose). If the weightlifter stays with the
weight lifted for hour, the work done during that hour will be zero although a lot of
fuel should have been consumed. That is because mechanical work is not necessarily a
good measure of fuel consumption during physical activity. On one side because the
basic physical activity of the human “engine” is muscle contraction and fuel is
consumed by contracting a muscle and by keeping a muscle contracted which does not
necessarily results in work done on the environment; and on the other side, because
the efficiency for converting the chemical energy of the fuel into work maybe
significantly low due to heat losses. Typical daily physical activities for an average
person actually involve less work than in athletes. The work done for walking an
average of 5000 steps corresponds to about (assuming a weight of
and a step length of ).

Please notice that the human “engine” also has a very precise internal temperature controller,
which guarantees a practically constant body temperature ( ). Thus,

̇ ( ) ̇

(4.4)

Eq. (4.4) seems to indicate that the rate of fuel combustion should match the energy
requirements of the system. However, this is only partially true. Actually, the rate of fuel
consumption depends on the demand of energy but also on the demand of electrons by the
body. For example, if the body needs to contract muscles, then it will need electrons and
therefore it will consume fuel, even if the body is already overheated. So, actually the body
temperature is controlled by transferring heat to the environment, and that is why the body is
comfortable when the ambient temperature is several degrees below the body temperature,
since it needs a permanent temperature gradient for dissipating heat. However, large
temperature gradients are also not comfortable because external tissue might be
damaged.[24] Since the optimal temperature gradient lies within a relatively small range, and
the body area remains practically constant, the natural response for controlling the body

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

temperature in cold weathers is by increasing the rate of fuel consumption, and by

accumulating fat close to the epidermis in order to reduce the heat transfer coefficient, thus
reducing heat losses. On hot weathers, a natural response is sweating, which promotes heat
transfer by evaporation of water, and reducing the basal metabolism.

In summary, the body consumes fuel as a requirement of cell operation, but also for generating
electricity for muscle motion and brain activity, and in cold weathers, also for raising the body
temperature. However, normally the consumption of fuel releases heat in excess which needs
to be continuously dissipated to the environment. The energy balance is further complicated by
significant fluctuations in heat transferred either by solar radiation or by convection, and
significant fluctuations in work performed on the environment. Thus, trying to control the body
weight by acting on the energy balance is not a straightforward approach, because there are
additional factors and disturbances influencing the energy balance. In other words, success in
controlling the body weight by acting on the energy balance usually becomes a matter of
chance.

5. An Engineering Approach to Body Weight Control

As a result of the fluctuations in the amount and composition of ingested foods, as well as their
different absorption efficiencies for each individual, counting calories in food (from reference
tables) involves large uncertainties. Please notice that calories quantification in foods assumes
that all ingested combustible materials are used or stored by the body, which is not necessarily
true. Furthermore, counting calories during physical activities is also not a straightforward task,
as it cannot be directly determined from the mechanical work performed, and because the
energy consumed may be different for different individuals. Thus, due to those uncertainties,
calories-based approaches may not be the most effective options for body weight control, as it
has been suggested in recent scientific literature.[25-26]

Considering the human body from an engineering perspective, it is possible to propose a

general strategy for controlling its weight:

1. Controlled variable selection: The controlled variable is the body weight. Thus, it should
be measured frequently in order to implement a feedback control approach. It is
recommended to measure the body weight at least once a week or daily, if possible.
2. Relevant variables identification: In this approach, the manipulated variable will be the
daily amount of fuel intake (food and beverages). Thus, you can keep your current diet
and you will only need to change the daily intake. Please remember to consult your
physician and/or nutritionist for advice on healthy diets. It is also important to maintain
a constant daily water intake policy (frequency and amount), because changing food

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

and drinking policies may result in noise in your measurements. Please also consult your
physician or nutritionist about healthy water intake policies.
3. Parameter identification: Eq. (3.17) showed that the mass balance depends on the
individual fuel absorption efficiency and fuel consumption rate, which are unknown
parameters. Thus, it is important to perform an individual parameter identification as
follows:
a. Weigh all the daily food and beverages (other than pure water) intakes during a
period of time between 5 and 7 days.
b. Calculate the average daily mass intake ( ).
c. Measure your initial and final body weight for the period considered, and
calculate:
( ) ( )

(5.1)
where and represent the initial and final day of the period considered.
d. Calculate an estimate of the daily average fuel requirement as:

(5.2)
4. Feed policy implementation:
a. Define your body weight set point ( ).‡‡
b. Calculate the expected relative weight change as:
( )
( )
(5.3)
c. Calculate your new daily fuel intake as:

{( )

(5.4)
In this case, fuel intake changes are limited to only in order to avoid
unwanted metabolic changes in your body in response to drastic feed policy
alterations. For larger expected weight changes, once the limiting change
is reached, an additional variation in the fuel intake amount of up to can
be made, until the weight set point is reached. Before any additional change in
the fuel intake amount, and actually at any other moment if desired, the
parameter identification procedure described in the previous item should be
repeated in order to obtain an updated value of . These updates are

‡‡
Consult your physician or nutritionist about your optimal healthy body weight set point.

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 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

important because the daily average fuel requirements might change as a result
of weight changes and metabolic responses to fuel intake changes. Once you
reach your body weight set point, your daily fuel intake should match your
updated daily average fuel requirement, in order to maintain a constant weight.

Figure 2 illustrates a real example of body weight control using the procedure described in the
present section. The initial weight was , and a relative weight reduction of to
was desired. An average daily weight loss of 43 g in about 80 days was observed.
Afterwards, the set point weight was maintained. The plot also shows a clear trend of weight
reduction in spite of the noise in the measurements. Sometimes, plateaus and inverse
responses (increase in weight in this case) were observed, maybe due to disturbances and
metabolic responses, but in the long term, the desired result is achieved.

Figure 2. Example of body weight evolution in time for a 5% reduction in food and beverages
intake.

A variant of the present method is a tracking control approach. In this case, a daily set point
body weight value is defined assuming a linear change from the initial value to the desired
value in a determined period of time. An estimate of that time can be calculated as:

( )

(5.5)

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An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

The tracking weight set point ( ) as a function of time will then be determined by
the following equation:

( )
( ) ( ( ))
( ) {

(5.6)

Then, you can measure your body weight before a meal (e.g. dinner), and you can adjust the
portion in order to meet your daily goal:

( ) ( ( ) ( ) )
(5.7)

This approach can compensate for disturbances taking place during the day. The size of the
portion can only be reduced to a certain minimum value ( ), depending on
the recommendations of your physician or nutritionist.

6. Conclusions

The human body can be considered as an “engine” which uses fuel (food) for generating
power (in the form of heat and electricity) to operate. Sometimes, the excess fuel is stored by
the body for future consumption, although sometimes in an apparently uncontrolled way. A
simple approach is presented in this report as a suggestion for improving the effectiveness of
body weight control initiatives, just by applying basic engineering principles. Calories-based
approaches for body weight control are not always effective probably due to the large
uncertainties involved in the determination of energetic equivalents for food and physical
activities. Those calories-based approaches usually neglect the fact that everybody is different
(different metabolism, food absorption efficiencies, gender, age, genetic or environmental
conditions, etc.). The proposed engineering-based approach suggests identifying the particular
body weight response of each individual, before taking the corresponding weight control
actions (on the amount of food, not on its frequency or quality). Furthermore, a change in the
type, duration or intensity of current physical activity is not required, although a healthy level
of physical activity is always recommended. These ideas do not intend to replace any
nutritional program or medical recommendation. Please remember to consult your physician
and/or nutritionist about your recommended body weight, diet, water intake, and physical
activity, before undertaking any body weight control strategy.

15/01/2018 ForsChem Research Reports 2018-01 (16 / 18)

www.forschem.org
 Body Weight Control:
An Engineering Perspective
Hugo Hernandez
ForsChem Research
hugo.hernandez@forschem.org

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges Prof. Dr. Silvia Ochoa (Universidad de Antioquia,
Colombia), for useful discussions and for reviewing the manuscript.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public,
commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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ForsChem Research
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