Nutrition Chapter 1

Question 1

What is the definition of nutrition?

Answer 1

the science of food: the nutrients and substances within food and their action, interaction and balance in relation to health and disease and the process by which the organism uses food

Question 2

What is the definition of essential nutrients?

Answer 2

Substances essential for the health that the body can’t supply on its own. They have a specific biological function, removing it leads to decline in biological function, adding it back can restore normal biological function

Question 3

What are the 6 major classes of nutrients?

Answer 3

carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, water, vitamins, minerals

Question 4

What is the chemical structure of carbohydrates?

Answer 4

hydrogen, carbon and oxygen

can be both small and large (simple and complex)

Question 5

What is the chemical structure of proteins?

Answer 5

hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen
formed by bonded amino acids
main structural material of the body

Question 6

What is the chemical structure of lipids?

Answer 6

hydrogen, carbon and oxygen
can be solid or liquid (lipids and oils)
insoluble in water
structure of their dominant fatty acid determines saturation

Question 7

What is the chemical structure of vitamins?

Answer 7

wide variety of chemical structures, can contain many different elements
enable many chemical reactions in the body

Question 8

What is the chemical structure of minerals?

Answer 8

structurally simple and inorganic

Question 9

What is the chemical structure of water?

Answer 9

hydrogen and oxygen

Question 10

What are the energy values of carbs, proteins, lipids and alcohol?

Answer 10

C = 4, P = 4, L = 9, A = 7

Question 11

Summarize the primary objectives of Healthy People 2020.

Answer 11

health promotion and disease prevention

1. help people attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease
2. promote health equity
3. address nutrient concerns
4. address physical activity concerns

Question 12

What is the role of NHANES and other nutrition surveys?

Answer 12

determine what people are eating, determine what nutrients the population gets too much or not enough of, help set health outcomes

Question 13

What is the scientific method?

Answer 13

1. phenomena are observed
2. questions are asked and hypothesized
3. research
4. incorrect explanations are rejected
5. results are scrutinized and evaluated by other scientists (published)
6. results are confirmed

Question 14

What are signs of fraudulent nutrition claims?

Answer 14

claims of cure, new breakthrough, too good to be true, bias against medical community, no scientific credentials, poor study design, quick fix, dire warnings

Question 15

What sources of nutrition information are reliable?

Answer 15

peer-reviewed, unbiased, replicated studies

Question 16

What are phytochemicals and zoochemicals?

Answer 16

physiologically active compounds, components in plant foods and animal foods, not essential

Question 17

What is a calorie?

Answer 17

the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1 degree C

Question 18

What is a kilocalorie (kcal)?

Answer 18

the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water by 1 degree C

Question 19

What nutrients do North Americans get too much of?

Answer 19

sodium, simple carbs, saturated and trans fats

Question 20

What nutrients do North Americans get too little of?

Answer 20

vitamin A, vitamin E, iron and calcium (fiber)

Question 21

How is nutritional status assessed?

Answer 21

Anthropometric (physical measurements)
Biochemical  (blood nutrient concentrations)
Clinical (search for physical evidence)
Dietary (ask about food intake)
Environmental (lifestyle factors)
Family history

Question 22

What are 3 limitations of nutritional assessment?

Answer 22

1. signs and symptoms are not specific
2. signs and symptoms take a long time to develop
3. long time lapse between poor nutrition and clinical evidence

Question 23

What does NHANES stand for?

Answer 23

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey