When
particular items in the diet are in excess, or absent or short in supply, deficiency disorders develop. If an
individual appears to be underweight and malnourished, as a result of a
deficiency of one or more of the
elements of nutrition, causing that person not to conform to the usual
pattern of weight gain, that individual is underweight. A decrease in body weight or the inability to gain weight, which
reflects the fact that, body weight in
comparison to a healthy body weight is faltered, is referred to as underweight.
Underweight is having a body weight that is below a healthy weight combined
with appearances that present /problems/concerns or health issues. Underweight
can be detrimental/or life threatening to people in situations where these people are
faced with severe starvation caused by
famine, and improving/increasing
survival, during recovery, when faced
with adverse health conditions. According to the text, "being
underweight when combating/fighting severe chronic diseases increases risks for
the body" (Sizer, & Whitney, 2012. p.325).
Overweight is an increase in body
weight or the ability to easily put on weight, which is above a healthy weight,
and which causes more of a health concern. When too much energy is taken up from the
diet than is used up by the body, the result is obesity/fatness, which presents
risks such as, emotional problems as well as the physical issue of being more
prone to infections. With the body mass being much higher than a healthy body
mass, obesity can lead to various health issues. Overweight limits physical
activities and increases the risks of serious diseases such as heart disease,
diabetes, and stroke.
Hindering/obstructing participation
in vigorous tasks and physical
activities as other individuals, are the health risks of
having too much body fat. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension,
some types of cancer, and gallbladder stones are some of the health risks of having too much body fat. Overweight also leads to the physical problem of being more prone to infections. Research has shown that, "the increasing prevalence of obesity/overweight contributes to a
reduction in quality of life". (Walter, Kunst, Mackenbach, Hofman,
& Tiemeier, 2009).
Having too little to eat breeds
disease, which in turns undermines the mortality rate. Bad health and
infectious disease are widespread as a result of the intake of a single type of food/nutrient, or more
commonly from simply having too little to eat. Studies have shown that, "heart disease and being underweight are very serious health
conditions, which put the body at high mortality rates, especially when managing patients with COPD" (COPD: Higher mortality rate in underweight
COPD patients. 2011). People
of all ages are faced with increased mortality resulting from underweight
caused by malnutrition.
Mortality
is impacted by underweight and
overweight status because these nutritional disorders suggest that the health
and medical issues of this generation will be greater than generations in
earlier times, and the historical trend towards greater life expectancy will
ultimately be reversed.
A
healthy, nutritious diet is important for our health now and in the future. Fruits
and vegetables need to be made available every day as part of our diet. When
eating processed foods, the amount of fat, salt, and sugar in products such as
cakes, burgers, and sausages need to be limited. Recommendations of organic products
as opposed to processed foods will increase our health benefits We need to be protected from the marketing of
unhealthy foods; healthy/nutritious foods need to be defined; we need to
improve the quality of our foods; while ensuring that our societies have
essential knowledge and skills of foods/nutrients. Healthy foods need
to be promoted to all in our society,
regardless of age, gender, social and economical background, ethnicity, race,
and religion. As a society, we need to ensure that all meals are nutritionally
balanced and that enough money is
generated within/among families for the
purchase of healthy, nutritious foods. As
a society, we must avoid the inclusion of more high-calorie foods than are need
in our diet. Diets low in fat, sugar, and high-fiber carbohydrates are
also encouraged, as part of the diet for
individuals, who are overweight.
At home, we need to encourage the avoidance of
eating TV dinners or bringing home take-out rather than preparing a home cooked
meal; we claim that we are too tired from the day’s work. A home cooked meal
will ensure some physical activities,
during and maybe even after preparation. Very often, after consuming our meals,
we entertain ourselves by sitting on the couch watching television, playing
video games, or surfing the internet. All of these require no physical activity,
allowing the calories and fatty acids to fester and spread throughout our
bodies. Therefore, snacks between meals must be substituted with a fruit or a
home-made treat. The promotion of physical activities and exercises are
essential for the reduce risks of the development of heart disease, while they
help to strengthen muscles. Physical activities and exercises help to promote
sleep as the body needs to relax after physical activities. Hence, physical
activities and exercise must accompany the preventive
measures we can take to prevent underweight and overweight issues in our
society, and maintain a healthy body weight.
References:
COPD:
Higher mortality rate in underweight COPD patients. (2011). Pulse, , 13. Retrieved June 25, 2013 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/896516879?accountid=32521
Sizer, F. S & Whitney, E. N. (2012). Nutrition Concepts &
Controversies (12th. ed. ). Belmont: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning.
Walter, S., Kunst, A.,
Mackenbach, J., Hofman, A., & Tiemeier, H. (2009). Mortality and disability: The effect of overweight
and obesity. International
Journal of Obesity, 33(12), 1410-8.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.176
No comments:
Post a Comment