© 2007 Thomson - Wadsworth Chapter 1 The Art of Understanding Nutrition

© 2007 Thomson - Wadsworth

Chapter 1

The Art of Understandin

g 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 certified to advise

people on nutrition.9. The notion of eating insects universally 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

• Nutrition: the 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 block Scientific discoveries

of nutrients have mainly occurred in past one hundred years

Billions 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


Translating Nutrition

• Health fraud: conscious deceit practiced for profit, such as the promotion of a false or an unproven product or therapy.

• Quackery: fraud. A quack is a person who practices health fraud. quack = to boast loudly



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.


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 a nonessential nutrient but it does contain calories



Vitamins, Minerals, and Water

• Vitamins: organic, 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.


Vitamins, Minerals, and Water


Calorie Values

Calorie value of carbohydrate, fat, and protein…• If 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 grams of carbohydrate, 27 grams of protein, and 39 grams of fat (above).

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:• Diseases of Deficiency

Goiter: (GOY-ter) enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by iodine deficiency.

Pellagra: (pell-AY-gra) niacin deficiency characterized by diarrhea, inflammation of the skin, and, in severe cases, mental disorders.

• Malnutrition: any condition caused by an excess, deficiency, or imbalance of calories or nutrients.



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.




• Health Promotion: helping people achieve their maximum potential for good health

• Healthy Aging: Three Powerful Steps

1. Eat Smart2. Move More3. Start Early


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 nutritious, regular meals7. Eating breakfast




• Start at the top line—age 76, 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.


National Agenda forImproving Nutrition and

Health





• 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



• Hunger: the physiological need for food.

• Appetite: the psychological desire to eat, which is often but not always accompanied by hunger.



• Availability: Americans enjoy an abundant food supplyResources 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



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

food to meet minimum nutritional needs•Undernutrition: 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?


• Strategy 1: Don’t supersize.

• Strategy 2: Think grilled, not fried.

• Strategy 3: Hold the mayo.

• Strategy 4: Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants.

• Strategy 5: “Just say no.”

690 calories

24 g fat

8 g saturated fat

1,350 calories

43 g fat

13 g saturated fat


• Strategy 6: Balance fast-food meals with other food choices during the day.

• Strategy 7: Split your order—share with a friend.

• Strategy 8: Bring your lunch. • Strategy 9: Choose grab-and-go foods.• Strategy 10: If all else fails, go for the obvious

low-calorie choices.


Perceived Barriers to Healthful Eating

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

• It costs more to eat healthy foods• Too busy to take the time to eat

healthfully• Too much conflicting information about

which foods are healthy and which foods are not

• Healthy foods don’t taste as good• The people I usually eat with do not eat

healthy foods



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 it’s reliability




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.





• Personal Values or BeliefsMaking choices based on a larger

world view• Environmentally conscious• Boycott certain manufacturers for

political reasons• Sustainability to maintain natural

resources and human life– Involves building locally-based resources, self-

reliant food systems



• 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


Legitimate Nutrition Claims

• Published in a peer-reviewed journal

• Scrutinized by experts current in the field of study

• Two types of scientific studies:Epidemiology - examines populationsIntervention - randomized with an

experimental group and a control group



First Amendment Rights

• Guarantees freedom of the press whether sound, unsound or even dangerous

• Publishing misinformation cannot be punished by law unless it can be proven in court that the information has caused bodily harm


First Amendment Rights

• Purveyors of products are bound by the law to make only true statements

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can prosecute companies displaying false claims

• Promoters of false claims (quacks) can be adept at avoiding prosecution


Reliable Information on the Internet

• CredibleRespected,

credentialed authorAccurate, factual

and comprehensive information

Reasonable, fair and balanced

Supported by legitimate scientific publications

• SuspectToo good to be

trueMedical

establishment won’t accept

Uses testimonials and anecdotes

Secret formulaTreatment only

available here


Nutrition Credentials

• Registered Dietitian (RD)Fulfilled coursework by

the American Dietetic Association (ADA)

Completed on the job training (internship)

Passed national registration exam

Maintains Continuing Education Credits

• NutritionistClaims to be

capable of advising people about diets

Can be an RDCan be a person

with little to no scientific training


Charlie & Sassafras: “Nutrition Consultants”

Documents

© 2007 Thomson - Wadsworth Chapter 1 The Art of Understanding Nutrition