| Date | November 2012 | Marks available | 1 | Reference code | 12N.3.SL.TZ0.1 |
| Level | Standard level | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Identify | Question number | 1 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
When assessing a patient’s health, doctors very often calculate their body mass index (BMI). This is can be done using a nomogram as shown below.
State the equation used to calculate the BMI including its units.
Identify the mass above which a man whose height is 185 cm would be classified as obese.
A woman whose height is 167 cm has a mass of 78 kg. Calculate the minimum mass she should lose in order to have a normal BMI.
A woman and a man both have a height of 170 cm. The woman has a mass of 30 kg and the man has a mass of 104 kg.
Identify, using the nomogram, the BMI of both people.
The woman: ......................................................
The man: ......................................................
A woman and a man both have a height of 170 cm. The woman has a mass of 30 kg and the man has a mass of 104 kg.
Identify a possible cause of the BMI being too high or too low in the woman and in the man.
The woman: ......................................................
The man: ......................................................
Individuals whose appetite control centre does not function properly find it harder to avoid obesity. Outline the function of the appetite control centre.
Markscheme
125 (kg) (accept answers in the range of 122 (kg) to 128 (kg))
5 (kg) (accept answers in the range of 4 (kg) to 6 (kg))
the woman: 11 (kg m–2); (accept answers in the range of 11.0 to 11.2)
the man: 31 (kg m–2); (accept answers in the range of 31.0 to 32.0)
(both needed)
the woman: anorexic / eating disorder / starvation / illness;
the man: overeating / lack of exercise / very muscular;
Do not accept “obesity”, “glandular disorder” (too vague).
Award [1 max] if “appetite control centre does not function properly” is mentioned.
appetite control centre (in brain) makes person feel full/satiated/hungry;
function is both nervous and hormonal;
after eating (centre) responds to hormones/insulin from pancreas / hormones/PYY from small intestine / hormones from adipose tissue/leptin in response to fat storage;
(centre) responds to hormone/ghrelin released from empty stomach;
part (of the centre) responds to levels of lipid/sugar in the blood;
Examiners report
In 1(a), almost all candidates were able to correctly state the equation for BMI although some omitted the units.
In (b) (i) and (ii), candidates either got both correct or neither, depending on whether they knew how to use a nomogram.
In (b) (i) and (ii), candidates either got both correct or neither, depending on whether they knew how to use a nomogram.
Part (c) (i) was the same as (b), as the use of the nomogram was required to answer the question.
In (c) (ii), most candidates were able to state a correct reason for the BMI being too high or too low, although a few simply said underweight or overweight, which did not earn any marks.
The weakest answers in Question 1 were seen in (d). Many candidates received one mark, for stating that the appetite control centre in the hypothalamus makes a person feel satiated or full but few received a second mark.
