Nutrition and Diet Flashcards
Define ‘diet’.
The type and amount of food and drinks that a person consumes regularly.
What are individual dietary recommendations based on?
Age
* Gender
* Physiological status (such as pregnancy)
* Weight/Height
* Physical activity
* Health status etc.
What are dietary reference values (DRVs)?
A set of estimated nutrient requirements for healthy populations in the UK.
What are DRVs used for?
To inform public health policies, food labelling, and
dietary advice given by healthcare professionals.
Define Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI).
Levels of nutrients that are sufficient to meet the needs of almost all (97.5%) individuals in the population.
Define Estimated Average Requirements (EAR).
Levels of nutrients that are estimated to meet the needs of half of the population.
Define Lower Reference Nutrient Intakes (LRNI).
Levels of nutrients that are sufficient for only a small
percentage of the population (2.5%).
Define ‘Safe Intake’.
Level of nutrients that is considered safe for most people to consume.
What are the public health reasons for measuring people’s diets?
- To evaluate/monitor the adequacy of people’s diets (nationally or locally)
- To evaluate/monitor a dietary improvement programme
What are the research reasons for measuring people’s diets?
To identify any relationships between diet and health, wellbeing or disease using large population
studies.
What are the clinical reasons for measuring people’s diets?
To help diagnose a diet-related condition.
What are the commercial/economic reasons for measuring people’s diets?
To assess consumer choice of foods
List the 2 approaches to measuring diet and nutrition.
- Measure dietary intake
- Measure nutritional status
How do you measure nutritional status ?
Using biomarkers via blood, urine etc.
What is the purpose of measuring dietary intake?
Evaluate type and quantity of foods consumed and
identify levels of nutrient intakes.