NDT

• Nutrition


  The result of the processes whereby the body takes in and uses food for growth, development, and the maintenance of health. These processes include digestion, absorption, and metabolism
• Nutritional Status


  One's physical condition as determined by diet

  
• Nutrition helps determine the height and weight of an individual. Nutrition also can affect the body's ability to resist disease, the length of one's life, and the state of one's physical and mental well-being
• Good nutrition


  • Enhances appearance (shiny hair, clear skin, clear eyes, erect posture, alert expressions, and firm flesh on well-developed bone structures)
  • Aids emotional adjustments
  • Provides stamina
  • Promotes a healthy appetite
  • Helps establish regular sleep and elimination habit
• Malnutrition


  Poor nutrition; can be caused by overnutrition (excess energy or nutrient intake) or undernutrition (deficient energy or nutrient intake)
• Supersizing


  Lead to portion distortion
• Nutrient Deficiency


  Occurs when a person lacks one or more nutrients over a period of time
• Types of nutrient deficiencies


  • Primary (caused by inadequate dietary intake)
  • Secondary (caused by something other than diet, such as a disease condition that may cause malabsorption, accelerated excretion, or destruction of the nutrients)

  
• Teenagers may eat often but at unusual hours. They may miss regularly scheduled meals, become hungry, and satisfy their hunger with foods that have low nutrient density such as potato chips, cakes, soda, and candy
• Foods with low nutrient density

  Provide an abundance of calories, but the nutrients are primarily carbohydrates and fats and, except for sodium, very limited amounts of proteins, vitamins, and minerals
• Peer Pressure


  Pressure of one's friends and colleagues of the same age
• Crash diets, which unfortunately are common among teens, sometimes result in a form of malnutrition. This condition occurs because some nutrients are eliminated from the diet when the types of foods eaten are severely restricted
• Many factors influence nutrition in the elderly. Depression, loneliness, lack of income, inability to shop, inability to prepare meals, and the state of overall health can all lead to malnutrition
• Cumulative effects


  Results of something that is done repeatedly over many years
• Cumulative effects of nutrition

  • Atherosclerosis (eating excessive amounts of saturated fats, which leads to heart attack)
  • Obesity (excessive body fat, 20% above the average; may also contribute to hypertension, type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, gallbladder disease, foot problems, certain cancers, and even personality disorders)
• Deficiency diseases


  • Iron deficiency (most common form of deficiency in US)
  • Rickets (deficiency disease caused by the lack of vitamin D and calcium; causes malformed bones and pain in infants and children)
  • Osteomalacia (sometimes called "adult rickets"; a condition in which bones become soft, usually in adults because of calcium loss and vitamin D deficiency)
  • Osteoporosis (condition in which bones become porous and excessively brittle because there have been insufficient mineral deposits, especially calcium)
  • Goiter (enlarged tissue of the thyroid gland due to a deficiency of iodine and vitamin A)
• Nutrition Assessment


  Evaluation of one's nutritional condition; determining whether a person is at risk requires completion of a nutrition assessment

  
• Components of a nutrition assessment

  • Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, head, upper arm, and skinfold)
  • Clinical examination (physical observation)
  • Biochemical tests (serum albumin level, serum transferrin level, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine excretion, serum creatinine)
  • Dietary-social history (24-hour recall, food diary, computer analysis)

  
• The practice of good nutrition habits would help eliminate many health problems caused by malnutrition. The health professional is obligated to have a sound knowledge of nutrition. One's personal health, as well as that of one's family, depends on it
• Balanced Diet


  Includes all six classes of nutrients and calories in appropriate amounts that preserve and promote good health
• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

  Combines the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), Adequate Intake, Estimated Average Requirements, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for individuals into one value representative of the average daily nutrient intake of individuals over time; would provide enough information to plan balanced diets

  
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans

  General goals for optimal nutrient intake

  
• MyPyramid


  Outline for making selections based on Dietary Guidelines for America, 2005. From the U.S. Department of Agriculture

  
• A basic premise of the Dietary Guidelines is that recommended diets will provide all the nutrients needed for growth and health and that the nutrients consumed should come primarily from foods. Foods contain not only the vitamins and minerals found in supplements, but also hundreds of naturally occurring substances, including carotenoids, flavonoids and isoflavones, and protease inhibitors that may protect against chronic health conditions

  
• Over the last 20 years the prevalence of overweight in the general population, and especially among children and adolescents, has increased substantially; it is estimated that as many as 16% of children and adolescents are overweight. Overweight and obesity of both adults and children are of great public health concern because excess body fat leads to a higher risk of premature death, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and other chronic diseases
• Physical activity


  Any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles resulting in energy expenditure
• Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke
• Over the last 20 years the prevalence of overweight in the general population, and especially among children and adolescents, has increased substantially; it is estimated that as many as 16% of children and adolescents are overweight
• Overweight and obesity of both adults and children are of great public health concern because excess body fat leads to a higher risk of premature death, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and other chronic diseases
• Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis
• It is recommended that adults engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week
• Regular physical activity is also a key factor in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight for adults and children
• It is recommended that males over age 40 and females over age 50 check with their health care provider before beginning aerobic activities
• Food groups to encourage


  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Fat-free or low-fat milk products

  
• Those who eat more generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthful diet may reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancers in certain sites (oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, and colon-rectum)
• Consuming at least three or more ounce-equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of several chronic disease and may help with health maintenance
• Legumes


  Plant food that is grown in a pod; for example, beans or peas
• High intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol increases the risk of coronary heart disease due to high blood lipid levels
• Fats supply energy and essential fatty acids and serve as a carrier for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids
• Foods in the basic food groups that provide carbohydrates—fruits, vegetables, grains, and milk—are important sources of many nutrients