Disease & Nutrition Connection

        

         Health is not merely the absence of disease  or infirmity, it  is the state of complete physical, mental, and  social well-being of the human body. People's lifestyles and behavior are contributory factors in most of the chronic degenerative diseases,  such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and arthritis, which represent the effect of the wear and tear on the human body.  According to the text, "although the chronic diseases such as, heart disease, diabetes, some kinds of cancer, dental disease,, and adult bone loss, all have a connection to bone loss, they cannot be prevented by a good diet alone. (...) a person's genetic constitution, activities, and lifestyle are also determining factors" (Sizer, & Whitney, 2012. p. 3). Important factors in most of the diseases mentioned are: diet;  exercise and maintaining mobility; stress, recreation and/or leisure activities; alcohol and substance abuse; smoking; sexual behavior; and housing and sanitation.

            The most important ways humans can help to feel well and be well is by promoting healthy eating, or maintaining good nutrition, which includes the principles of a healthy diet.  Humans need food to provide energy for physical activity and to maintain body temperature; to provide material for growth of the body cells; and for the replacement and repair of damaged body tissues. Food habits developed during childhood will affect humans for life, consequently, most adults will suffer from some disorder, for example, cancer, heart disease, or tooth decay, which is related to diet.  So, it is important to establish healthy diets/eating patterns which will help to promote good physical, mental, and social health, while also protecting the body against disease.

            Malnutrition/nutritional disorders may be  caused by an excess or a  nutritional deficiency of one or more of the elements of nutrition. Because healthy foods are relatively highly priced, healthy foods become less available, resulting in malnutrition. When people fail to maintain a healthy balanced diet, which includes a range of foods from the five main food groups in the correct proportion, the result is malnutrition or under-nourished. Based on researched information, "malnutrition is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a cellular imbalance between supply of nutrients and energy and the body's demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific functions'^. The consequences of malnutrition result in a significant health and economic cost".  (Lamb, Parr, Lamb, & Warren, 2009). As the body has to draw on fat reserves to meet energy requirements, an insufficient intake in calories will result in weight loss. It seems that proportions of foods may vary according to human lifestyles, for example, people from lower-income societies may most likely be exposed to a range of poorer quality foods/diets.  Food requirements vary according to age, size, gender, lifestyles, occupation, and climate.

             Different foods contain different amounts of energy per unit of weight. It is believed that food that contain a lot of sugar and fat have high energy value.  With an excess of calories being stored, weight gain/obesity is the end result, as the surplus energy is stored as fat.  When more energy is taken in from the diet than is used up by the body, the result is obesity. Obesity can lead to emotional problems as well as physical problem of being prone to infections. Because some foods are energy dense and physical activities are poor, obesity/increase in weight causes more of a health concern.

References

Lamb, C. A., Parr, J., Lamb, E. I. M., & Warren, M. D. (2009). Adult malnutrition screening, prevalence and management in a united kingdom hospital: Cross-sectional study. The British Journal of Nutrition, 102(4), 571-5. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007114509236038

Sizer, F. S & Whitney, E. N.  (2012). Nutrition Concepts & Controversies (12th. ed. ). Belmont: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.