Essay
Nutritional health
- Module
- Unit 19 - Nutritional Health
- Institution
- PEARSON (PEARSON)
This is unit 19 which covers all the aspects of nutritional health. A distinction was awarded for this assignment.
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Unit 19s2100820
19/a.p1- Explain how the concepts of nutritional health contribute to health and
wellbeing
In this report I will be discussing the importance of healthy eating for the maintenance of the
body. I am aiming to become a registered nutritionist in health and social care and have put
together this report. I will also be focusing on 2 individuals who will remain unknown due to
confidentiality. They will be at different life stages and I will be looking at their diet and
discussing how the intake of what foods they eat impacts their lives.
Healthy eating and a balanced diet
Having a balanced diet consists of food items from many different food groups which can
provide nutrients and vitamins for the good wellbeing of the body. If an individual
understands the concepts of healthy eating, it will lead to good health, a long life and a life
free from diseases To ensure you are having a balanced diet you will need to be following
through with healthy eating. Healthy eating consists of drinking around 2 litres of water a day
with a pH above 7. Drinking a lot of water is vital as it allows you to digest your food and get
rid of waste. It also ensures the body can function properly and is needed by each cell in the
body for the prevention of illness.(Why Drinking Water Is the Way to Go (for Kids) - Nemours
Kidshealth) Furthermore, healthy eating includes having your 5 a day which is consuming 5
fruits a day however some health professionalists recommend eating up to 7 a day. It is
important to eat a lot of vegetables when eating a big meal such as dinner and it is said that
an individual should be having 3-4 portions of vegetables a day. This could include
vegetables in many different forms such as frozen, canned, juiced and it is recommended to
have vegetables when they are freshly picked and ripe.How Many Servings of Vegetables
Should You Eat per Day? (healthline.com) Moreover,it is important you eat the appropriate
portion size which varies to each individual. Fizzy drinks and fatty foods such as chips and
burgers should not be consumed as often and should only be eaten as a treat because it is
very bad for the health and can lead to health problems such as diabetes, obesity and
coronary heart disease.
Eatwell plate and main food groups
The eatwell plate contains the 5 food groups that allows you to follow through with healthy
eating. The five groups consist of 33% of fruits
and vegetables, 15% of dairy, 12% of meat, fish
and beans, 33% of bread, rice, potatoes and
pasta and lastly, 7% of fatty and sugary foods. It
is shown that starchy foods and fruit and
vegetables should be mostly over a third of what
we eat and dairy products and meats should be
consumed in small amounts within a meal. Also,
foods items high in fat should be consumed by
having it less than once a week as it should be
taken as a treat as it can have short and long
term effects to the body.
Food pyramid
A food pyramid shows the number of servings along with which food items in each food
group should be eaten per day to aim to be eating a healthy diet. It is separated into 3
, Unit 19
s2100820
groups of ‘eat most’, ‘eat moderately’ and ‘eat in small amounts’ Healthy Eating Pyramid -
The Healthy Eating Hub{29/10/2021}. It is suggested that 5 portions of fruits and vegetables
should be consumed every day and it is recommended that complex carbohydrates such as
starchy foods and fibres should be eaten the most in an individual's diet. Starchy foods
include cereals, oats, bread, rice and many other food items.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a serious condition which means that an individual is not getting a sufficient
amount of nutrients needed to allow the body to function effectively. It is an imbalance of the
nutrients the body needs compared to what the body receives. (John E. Morley,2021) It
happens as a result of a bad diet, intestinal problems, or another illness. Fatigue,
disorientation, weight loss, and physical discomfort are all symptoms of this condition.Certain
medicines may have have bad side effects which also include appetite loss, diarrhoea, or
nausea, which may cause you to eat very little or retain fewer nutrients from your
meals.Malnutrition consists of under-nutrition which is not getting enough nutrients needed
and over-nutrition which is getting much more nutrients than needed. There are some
treatments to aid a person who does suffer from malnutrition by supplying them with the
nutrients that they seem to be lacking.
Under-nutrition
Under-nutrition is a type of malnutrition.Undernutrition is when the body doesn’t get enough
nutrients that the body requires to maintain good health. Some signs of under-nutrition is an
individual being underweight, protruding bones with extremely dry skin. Under-nutrition could
lead to a stunt of growth and development. This occurs from a poor diet, digestive problems
or a disease. To help get people on the mend from undernutrition there are treatments to
help them. One method could be feeding an individual food in gradually increasing amounts
with the sufficient amount of nutrients needed. In addition, another method could be feeding
an individual through a tube from the throat to the stomach or through their veins. (John E.
Morley,2021). From 2014, the amount of undernourished individuals in the world has risen
and around 690 million people were suffering from undernutrition in 2019. It is shown that
undernutrition is most common in areas that have a lack of access to food resources. Some
factors that may cause an individual to be undernourished is them being poor, homeless and
being young as it is more difficult for them to afford food.
Overnutrition
Overnutrition is a type of malnutrition. Overnutrition is the cause from the excessive intake
of nutrients which may lead to multiple health conditions such as obesity and being
overweight. It is stated that in America the obesity rates were 39.8% for adults and 18.5% for
the youths between 2015-2016. This could also lead to nutrient deficiencies as there is a
lack of minerals and vitamins needed for the body. Being overweight may cause insulin
resistance if too many carbohydrates are consumed which leads to more insulin being
produced than needed. This is a problem as it leads to an individual being more hungry
which leads to more consumption of food which causes weight gain. To prevent overnutrition
from occurring an organisation called ‘WHO’ which stands for the ‘world help organisation’,
set up campaigns to raise awareness targeting medical professionals, the private sector and
the general public Overnutrition (uniteforsight.org) {4/11/2021}. Moreover, the World Health
Organization has also developed a Worldwide Strategic plan on Diet, Fitness, and Health,
which lays out ways to tackle global overnutrition.
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