Chapter 1

The Basics of Understanding

Nutrition

True or False?1. It is possible to have an appetite without

being hungry.2. Most people obtain information about

nutrition from health professionals.3. The way people choose to live and eat can

affect their health and quality of life as they age.

4. Vitamins and minerals supply calories5. You can order a low-fat, balanced meal at a

fast-food outlet.

Ask Yourself:

True or False?6. Healthful diets cost more than relatively

unhealthful diets. 7. When a person suffers from malnutrition, it

means he or she is taking in too few nutrients.

8. A nutritionist is a professional who is certified to advise people on nutrition.

9. The notion of eating insects repels people around the world.

10. The more current a dietary claim, the more you can trust its accuracy and reliability.

Ask Yourself:

The Field of Nutrition

• NutritionThe study of foods, their nutrients and other

chemical components, their actions and interactions in the body, and their influence on health and disease.

• About Nutrition:Newcomer on the scientific blockScientific discoveries of nutrients have mainly

occurred in past one hundred yearsBillions of dollars spent each year to

investigate the many aspects of nutrition

The Field of Nutrition

• Understanding the impact food has on our bodies by examining research in chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology

• Nutrition-related fields include psychology, anthropology, epidemiology, geography, agriculture, ethics, economics, sociology, and philosophy

The Nutrients in Foods

• Nutrients: Substances obtained from food and used in the body to promote growth, maintenance, and repair.

• Essential nutrients: Nutrients that must be obtained from food because the body cannot make them for itself.

• Nonessential nutrients: Nutrients that the body needs, but is able to make in sufficient quantities when needed; do not need to be obtained from food.

6 classes of nutrients:

1.Carbohydrate2.Fat3.Protein4.Vitamins5.Minerals6.Water

The Nutrients in Foods

• The energy-yielding nutrients:CarbohydrateFatProtein

• Energy: the capacity to do work, such as moving or heating something.

• Calorie: the unit used to measure energy.

• Alcohol is not a nutrient but it does contain calories.

Caloric Values of Carbohydrate, Protein,Fat, and Alcohol

Vitamins, Minerals, and Water

• VitaminsOrganic, or carbon-containing, essential

nutrients vital to life and needed in minute amounts. • vita = life • amine = containing nitrogen

• Minerals: Inorganic compounds, some of which are

essential nutrients.

• Water: Provides the medium for life processes.

Calorie Values

Calorie value of carbohydrate, fat, & proteinIf you know the number of grams of carbohydrate, fat, and protein in a food, you can calculate the number of calories in it. For example, a deluxe fast food hamburger contains about 45 g of carbohydrate, 27 g of protein, and 39 g of fat

Remember thisnumber…

Percentage of Total Energy Intake

The percentage of your total energy intake from carbohydrate, fat, and protein can then be determined by dividing the number of calories from each energy nutrient by the total calories, and then multiplying your answer by 100 to get the percentage

Nutrition and Health Promotion

Past History:

• Malnutrition: Any condition caused by an excess, deficiency,

or imbalance of calories or nutrients.

• Diseases of Deficiency: Caused by taking in too little of one nutrient or

another. Diseases of deficiency have virtually been

eliminated in the U.S. due to an abundant food supply and fortification.

Nutrition and Health Promotion

Present Problems:• Overnutrition

Calorie or nutrient over-consumption severe enough to cause disease or increased risk of disease; a form of malnutrition.

• Degenerative disease Chronic disease characterized by deterioration

of body organs as a result of misuse and neglect; poor eating habits, smoking, lack of exercise, and other lifestyle habits often contribute to degenerative diseases, including heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

Not all diseases are equally influenced by diet.

Lifestyle Elements Associated with Longevity

1. Avoiding excess alcohol2. Not smoking3. Maintaining a healthy weight4. Exercising regularly5. Sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night6. Eating breakfast7. Eating nutritious, regular meals

• Okinawan twin sisters at age 106

Okinawans enjoy one of the longest life spans on earth. 1.Enough is Enough2.Moderation and a Healthful Lifestyle Are Key Cultural Values3.Psychological and Spiritual Health Matters.

Eat Well Be Well

A National Agenda for Improving Health & Nutrition

Health Promotion: Helping people achieve their maximum potential for good health1.Getting people to eat healthful diets

2.Be physically active

3.Get regular rest

4.Develop leisure-time hobbies for relaxation

5.Strengthen social networks with family and friends

6.Achieve a balance among family, work, and play

The Longevity Game – page 14

Start at the top line—age 78, the average life expectancy for adults in the United States today.

For each of the 11 lifestyle areas add or subtract years as instructed. If an area doesn’t apply, go on to the next one.

If you are not sure of the exact number to add or subtract, make a guess.

START WITH 78

1. Exercise

2. Relaxation

3. Driving

4. Blood Pressure

5. 65 and working

6. Family History

7. Smoking

8. Drinking

9. Gender

10. Weight

11. Age

12. Seatbelts

Your Final Score:

• Numerous factors influence choices:

Hunger, appetite, and food habits Nutrition knowledge, health

beliefs/concerns, and practices Availability, convenience, and

economy Advertising and the media Early experiences, social

interactions, and cultural traditions Personal preference, taste, and

psychological needs Values, such as political views,

environmental concerns, and religious beliefs

Understanding Our Food Choices

Understanding Our Food Choices

• HungerThe physiological need for food.

• Appetite The psychological

desire to eat, which is often but not always accompanied by hunger.

Understanding Our Food Choices

• Availability• Americans enjoy an abundant food supply

Resources to maintain a large agricultural industry and import a wide variety of foods

An abundant food supply has been linked to degenerative diseases

Degenerative diseases are sometimes referred to as diseases of affluence

Understanding Our Food Choices

• Income, Food Prices, and ConvenienceLow incomes make it difficult to buy enough

food to meet minimum nutritional needsUndernutrition

• Severe under-consumption of calories or nutrients leading to disease or increased susceptibility to disease; a form of malnutrition.

Many people perceive that a healthy diet costs more. • Does it cost more than convenience food?

Perceived Barriers to Healthful Eating

1. Healthy foods are not always available from fast-food and take-out restaurants

2. It costs more to eat healthy foods3. Too busy to take the time to eat healthfully4. Too much conflicting information about

which foods are healthy and which foods are not

5. Healthy foods don’t taste as good6. The people I usually eat with do not eat

healthy foods

The Savvy Diner

1. Buy local and in season2. Shop from a list3. Read ingredients & Nutrition Facts4. Use “sell by” or “best if used by”

dates5. Shop the perimeter of the grocery

store

Understanding Our Food Choices

Advertising and the Media• Television and radio commercials, magazines

and newspapers rank among the most influential sources of diet and nutrition information

• This, in turn affects our food choices• Advertising is not always created with the

consumer’s best interest in mind• Media information can vary in its reliability

Understanding Our Food Choices

Social & Cultural Factors

• Social group A group of people, such as a

family, who depend on one another and share a set of norms, beliefs, values, and behaviors.

• Culture Knowledge, beliefs, customs,

laws, morals, art, and literature acquired by members of a society and passed along to succeeding generations.

• Ethnic cuisine The traditional foods eaten by

the people of a particular culture.

Understanding Our Food Choices

• Personal Values or BeliefsMaking choices based on a larger world view Environmentally conscious Boycott certain manufacturers for political

reasons Sustainability

• A society’s ability to shape its economic and social systems to maintain both natural resources and human life, and it involves building locally based, self-reliant food systems.

Understanding Our Food Choices

• Food Preferences are Personal…Related to positive experiencesAversions to certain foodsTied to psychological needs

•Yearnings, cravings, addictions and response to stress

Reflect our own unique cultural legacies, philosophies and beliefs

Nutrition Action

690 calories, 24 g fat, 8 g saturated fat

1,350 calories, 43 g fat, 13 g saturated fat

What is the difference between a RD and a Nutritionist?

• Registered Dietitian (RD)Fulfilled coursework by the American Dietetic

Association (ADA)Completed on the job training (internship)Passed national registration examMaintains Continuing Education Credits

• NutritionistClaims to be capable of advising people about

dietsCan be an RDCan be a person with little to no scientific training