Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is the definition of nutrition?
science of food
how the body uses food for energy, metabolism, growth and maintenance
Nutrition is a science, what does that mean?
it can be tested and backed by the scientific method
Why study nutrition at all?
It supports wellness
What are the four types of wellness?
physical
emotional
intellectual
mental
What are nutrients?
substances essential for health that the body can’t make or makes too little to support health
What are the essential nutrient characteristics?
- has specific biological function
- if removed, causes decline in human biological function
- if returned before permanent impairment, human biological functions return to normal
What do nutrients do?
provide energy
form structures
regulate body processes
What are macronutrients?
proteins, lipids, and water needed in large amounts
What are micronutrients?
vitamins and minerals needed in small amounts
Which nutrients provide energy?
carbs, lipids, and proteins
Why is protein a debatable nutrient that provides energy?
protein can be used for ATP, but its not supposed to be used as such
What are the two types of malnutrition?
undernutrition
overnutrition
What is undernutrition?
nutrient intake does not meet needs
nutrient stores are depleted
subclinical early stage of nutrient deficiency
What is overnutrition?
consumption of more nutrients than the body needs
most common type in industrialized nations
excess energy intake
What can a nutritional assessment do?
can help determine how nutritionally fit you are
What is the biggest downfall in a nutritional status assessment?
inability to self-report
What should a nutritional status assessment include?
FABCDE
What does FABCDE stand for?
Family history and self-history Anthropometric assessment (BMI) Biochemical assessment (blood, urine) Clinical assessment Dietary assessment Environmental assessment
What are some limitations of nutritional assessments?
many signs and symptoms of a deficiency are not very superficial
-many take a long time for the signs and symptoms and the clinical evidence of a nutritional deficiency to develop
What is the nutrition care process?
- conduct a nutrition assessment
- diagnose nutrition-related problems
- create an intervention
- monitor and evaluate progress
What is a calorie?
- amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius
- tiny unit of measurement
What is a kilocalorie?
- Calorie
- amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius
What are carbohydrates?
composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What are the dietary sources of carbs?
fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, and sugars
What is the energy yield from carbs?
4 calories/gram
What are lipids?
fats composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
What are the dietary sources of lipids?
fats, oils, and cholesterol
What is the energy yield from lipids?
9 calories/gram
What are proteins?
carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen
What is the energy yield from proteins?
4 calories/gram
What is the energy yield from alcohol?
7 calories/gram
What fraction of Americans are overweight?
2/3
What fraction of Americans are obese?
1/3
What fraction of nutrition-related diseases account for all deaths?
2/3
What is the number 1 killer in the US?
heart disease
The current dietary patterns and lack of physical activity ____ the risk of chronic diseases
increases
What is the human condition?
we know that something is dangerous, but we don’t see the immediate threat
What are the top four issues of the North American diet?
- too many calories (and not enough activity)
- too much protein from animal sources; too little from plants
- too many carbs from simple sugars; too few from complex carbs
- too much fat from animal sources; too little from plants
What influences our food choices?
- food flavor, texture and appearance
- psychological and emotional
- culture
- lifestyle- 21st Century lifestyle; food processing
- routines and habits
- environment- socioeconomic; food deserts
- food marketing
- health and nutrition concerns, knowledge, and beliefs- only eat 100 different foods
What is hunger?
Physical need for food
What is appetite?
psychological desire to eat certain foods and reject others
What is the scientific method in nutrition?
6 steps
- observations made and questions asked
- hypothesis generated
- research experiments conducted
- findings evaluated by peers and published
- follow up experiments conducted to confirm or extend findings
- accept or reject hypothesis
When are animals used in lab experiments?
when human use is unethical
depends on animal model or the disease that closely mimics the human version
What is a case-control study?
compare individuals who have the condition with those who don’t
What is a double-blind study?
experimental group follows specific protocol, while control group follows usual habits but is also administered a placebo
gives more definitive testing of a hypothesis
The strongest studies compare groups that are similar in what?
age
race
gender
What can human experiments not claim?
cause and effect
When evaluating nutrition claims, what do you need to be cautious of?
- only advantages are discussed
- new or secret breakthroughs
- claims to cure disease
- sounds too good to be true
- extreme bias against medical community
How do you identify reliable nutrition information?
- Is it based on good science?
- Has it stood the test of time?
- Does a reputable source stand behind it?
What is Healthy People 2020?
report that provides science-based, 10-year national goals for improving the health of all Americans
What is the main objective of Healthy People 2020?
help all people attain high-quality, longer lives free of disease, disability, injury, and premature death
What is the best nutritional information source?
registered dietician
