Optimal Dietary Allocation to Reduce the Risk of Overweight and Obesity

In this paper, we developed a transportation model for dietary allocation to reduce the risk of overweight and obesity. Our interest was on macronutrients such as carbohydrate, fat and oil and protein diets. These diets are the chief supplier of calories used by the body to perform its metabolic activities. The maximum cost method was used to determine the optimal calories per week from the intake of high fat diet and we found that the calorie required is 478.8 Kcal and average daily required intake is 68.4 Kcal. Again, the least cost method was used to determine the optimal calories per week from the intake of low carbohydrate diet and we found that the calorie required is 681.7 Kcal and average daily required intake is 97.4 Kcal. Comparing the calories from both diets, we conclude that consumption of diet with high fat produce less calories, and hence should reduce the risk of overweight and obesity compared to the consumption of carbohydrate diet even in low quantity. Since calorie is calorie irrespective of its source, we recommend taking high fat diet than taking low carbohydrate diet to reduce the risk of overweight and obesity. The determined daily calories are the minimum calories required by the body to maintain its metabolic activities, more of it will lead to excess and accumulation in the body which will lead to overweight and obesity.