Research Paper Ideas Related to Weight Loss

If you are studying nutrition, the subject of weight loss is likely a very common matter of discussion in your coursework. During your study, you may be required to write a detailed research paper on a concept within the broader subject of weight loss. Many different theses are possible based on this idea. Research papers are a formal document that allow you to show your thorough knowledge on the subject with sources that support your argument.

Methods

• Losing weight is a hot topic for many people around the world. If you have developed a new method of weight loss, make it your thesis for a research paper. In your paper, define what the weight loss program entails, how it works, the tested results or any other information related to the methods. Another possible thesis is a comparison of two different diet or exercise plans that focus on weight loss. Throughout the body of your paper, outline the strengths and weaknesses of each plan and any data that proves or disproves their effectiveness.

Health Benefits

• Possible research paper topics focus on the many benefits of losing weight. For example, weight loss lowers a person's chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, lowers cholesterol levels and improves physical fitness. Do more than just list these benefits -- detail how weight loss actually affects these conditions and data that supports your argument.

Health Risks

• For many, losing weight is a matter of health that also improves quality of life. For others, however, weight loss has dangerous side effects. Use your research paper to explore some of these dangers. For example, according to Tom Venuto, certified personal trainer and author of "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle," losing weight too fast damages your metabolism, which makes it difficult to continue with your weight loss regimen or maintain a healthy weight for your height and build. "Starvation diets" that rely on a very low caloric intake cause you to burn muscle instead of fat. While losing weight at a manageable pace of 1 to 2 pounds per week is generally considered safe by research centers like the Mayo Clinic, losing weight too fast causes other dangers include slowed brain processes, increased risk for osteoporosis and dangerously lowered heart rate and blood pressure.

Eating Disorders/ Psychology of Body Image

• One approach to take in a research paper about weight loss is the psychological motivators that drive someone to weight loss. Focus on the dangerous and extreme methods, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Many eating disorders are caused by body dysmorphic disorder, a condition where a person becomes obsessed with perceived physical defects in their appearance. Explore the effects of personal body image on health and weight loss. A variant on this thesis is how the media and society perpetuate the concept of beauty and how it affects body image.