nutrition tools

Question 1

Nutrient density

Answer 1

makes contribution to meeting several essential nutrient needs compared to energy provided
¡ Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein

Question 2

Energy density

Answer 2

makes little contribution to meeting essential nutrient needs compared to energy provided
¡ Highly processed, high simple sugar/high fat foods

Question 3

Marginal/subclinical

Answer 3

¡ Long-term, borderline nutrient intake that only detected when a person is injured, ill or experiences physical trauma

Question 4

Malnutrition/undernourished

Answer 4

Starvation, individual nutrient deficiency

Question 5

Overnutrition

Answer 5

Generally characterized by excess body weight or disease due to nutrient toxicity

Question 6

measuring nutrient status

Answer 6

A = anthropometric
¡ Measuring the body – weight, height, skinfold
thicknesses, circumference
¨ B = biochemical
¡ Lab test on body tissues and fluids
¨ C = clinical
¡ Search by a health professional for physical evidence
of diet-related disease
¨ D = diet history
¨ E = environment assessment
¡ Living conditions, education level, ability to buy and prepare food

Question 7

Why is there so much conflicting and misleading nutrition information?

Answer 7

¡ Poorly designed research gives false or useless conclusions
¡ Media reports are oversimplified or sensationalized
¡ People tend to believe what they hear often, even if it
is not true
¡ Results from a single study do not answer all the questions about nutrition

Question 8

Types of nutrition research

Answer 8

Epidemiological – provides information about
relationships or correlations between two factors ú Results DO NOT clarify cause and effect
¡ Animal studies – preliminary to human studies or to test hypotheses that cannot be tested on humans
ú Results CAN NOT be transferred directly to humans
¡ Human studies

Question 9

Human studies

Answer 9

¡ Clinical trials – controlled studies with an
experimental group and a control group
¡ The control group typically receive a placebo which is an imitation treatment (“sugar pill”), so all subjects are “blinded” to who receives treatment
¡ Double-blind study
ú Neither the subjects nor the researchers know which group receives the treatment

Question 10

Dietary Guidelines

Answer 10

¡ USDA recommendations – includes messages on:
ú Reduce sodium, total and saturated fat, limit simple sugar intake
ú Increase whole grains (half of grain intake should be whole), fruit and vegetable intake
ú Moderation in alcohol intake (if at all)
ú Increase physical activity
ú Keep foods safe to eat during preparation and storage

Question 11

Dietary recommended intakes (DRI’s)

Answer 11

Recommendations for nutrients based on age, gender, lifestage
¡ EAR = Estimated Average Requirement
¡ RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance ¡ AI = Adequate Intake
¡ UL = Tolerable Upper Level

Question 12

daily value

Answer 12

DV = Daily Value

- based on RDAs for a 2000 kcal diet

Question 13

Health claims on food labels

Answer 13

¨ FDA only approves health claims that have strong scientific evidence
¡ Specific rules for use
¨ Sample health claims:
¡ Calcium, vitamin D and osteoporosis
¡ Dietary fat and cancer
¡ Noncariogenic carbohydrate sweeteners and dental caries (cavities)
¡ Saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat and heart disease
¡ Fiber and cancer