Diet-related health problems Flashcards
How may people does Obesity affect in the UK ?
one in four adults in the UK
What is used to check if someone is obese ?
Body Mass Index
(BMI)
What is classed as a healthy weight, over weight and obese for adults of white heritage ?
- A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is classed as a healthy weight
- Between 25 and 39 is classed as overweight
- Above 30 as obese
What is classed as a healthy weight, over weight and obese for adults from back, Asian and some other minority ethnic groups ?
- A BMI between 18.5 and 23 is classed as a healthy weight
- A BMI between 23 and 27.5 as overweight
- above 27.5 is classed as obese
How can BMI not be a reliable indicator ?
A person could wight a lot and have a high BMI fur to muscle rather than body
fat
What are the causes of obesity ?
1) An incorrect balance of energy - consuming more calories than you use
2) Diet and lifestyle factors (e.g eating lots of food high in fat and sugar or doing little physical activity)
3) Genetics and medical conditions may also contribute to
obesity
What are the health problems associated with obesity ?
1) Hugh blood pressure and high cholesterol leading to coronary heart disease and strokes
2) A greater risk of developing serious health conditions, e.g type 2 diabetes and cancer
2) Breathing difficulties and tiredness
3) Obesity can also affect mental health and self-esteem
What is coronary heart disease ?
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is when the coronary arteries are narrowed, because they are filled with fatty deposits
What causes Coronary heart disease ?
1) Eating lots of saturated fats
2) Being physically inactive - because exercise keeps the heart and the cardiovascular system healthy
3) Smoking - damages the lining of arteries and reduces the oxygen in the blood
4) High blood pressure - hugh blood pressure puts strain on blood vessels and organs and can increase the risk of heat disease and strokes
What are the health associated with Coronary heart disease ?
- Blood cannot pass though your blood vessels efficiently, which causes a squeezing pain in your chest (angina) and other area of you body
- Blood clots can form which suddenly block blood flow to the heart muscle - the heart doesn’t get enough oxygen, which can cause a heart attack
What is anemia ?
Iron is needed for blood cell production, people with anaemia have a reduced amount of red blood cells
What are the causes of anemia ?
- Not eating enough iron-rich foods, e.g. red meat and dark green vegetables
- Losing iron while having periods or pregnancy
What are the health problems associated with anemia ?
- Tiredness
- Pale complexion
- Heart palpitations
- Headaches
- abnormal fingernails
What does diabetes cause ?
It causes blood glucose levels run out of control
What is insulin?
Insulin is created in the pancreas - if there is too much glucose in the blood the pancreas produces insulin to reduce the blood glucose level.
What is Type 2 diabetes ?
Type 2 diabetes is a disorder where blood glucose levels stay too high because the pancreas either can’t produce enough insulin or the body resists it
What are the causes of type 2 diabetes ?
- Being overweight or obese
- Excessive sugar in the diet can lead to obesity (increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes) - this is affecting more young people
What are the health problems associated with type 2 diabetes ?
- Diabetes can cause long-term health problems such as poor eyesight (or even blindness), limb numbness, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease such as CHD
- People with diabetes can feel tired and thirsty
- The body flushed out glucose by passing urging more often
How can a poor diet affect the skeleton ?
A poor diet can cause:
- Rickets
- Osteoporosis
- Tooth decay
What is rickets ?
Rickets is a condition that means that the bones are soft and weak
Who does rickets occur in and how is it caused ?
Rickets occurs in children if they don’t have enough vitamin D and calcium
What does rickets cause ?
It causes pain in the bones, increase the chances of fracturing bones and can cause physical deformities, e.g bowed legs
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a bone disease which weakens the bones and makes the brittle increasing the chance of breaking bones from simple falls (called fragility fractures)
Who is Osteoporosis common in ?
Osteoporosis is common is older people because bone density is lost naturally as we age and women tend to lose bone density rapidly after the menopause
What can you do to prevent osteoporosis?
Eating rich foods rich in vitamin D or calcium can help prevent osteoporosis
What is plaque ?
Plaque is a sticky substance that
contains lots of bacteria - it builds up on your teeth over time from leftover food.
How does tooth decay happen ?
Bacteria feed on sugars and create acids that can destroy tooth enamel and cause tooth decay (also called dental caries/cavities)
How can you prevent tooth decay ?
Brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride and eating free foods high in sugar
