Chapter 6 Flashcards
What are most diet-related diseases linked to?
• eating too much saturated fat (obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes)
• Eating too much salt (high blood pressure and strokes)
• Eating too much sugar (obesity and type 2 diabetes)
• Eating too little fibre (constipation piles and bowel cancer)
• drinking too much alcohol (obesity, heart disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes)
• leading a sedentary lifestyle (obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes)
• Genetics (heart disease, bowel cancer, type 1 diabetes)
What is obesity?
Obesity means being 20% or more above the normal weight for your height and build or having a body mass index (BMI) of over 30
Why do people become overweight or obese?
• overeating: when a persons calories intake is greater than their output (basal metabolic rate (BMR) plus physical activity) weight gain results.
• Lack of exercise: many people lead a sedentary lifestyle taking little or no exercise. They therefore do not burn off calories eaten
• Poor nutritional knowledge: some people have not been given the opportunity to learn about nutrition and can make badly informed choices about food
• Poor eating patterns: many people have poor eating habits eg: sloping breakfast, snacking on high-calories foods and eating late at night
• Low income: many cheap convenience foods are high in fat and sugar
• Busy lifestyles: busy lifestyle can lead to an over-reliance on convenience foods and takeaways
• Emotional reasons; some people comfort eat to deal with emotions such as depression, anxiety, boredom or stress
• Medical conditions: there is a range of medical conditions that can cause weight gain, including an under active thyroid gland and poly cystic ovaries. Some medications such as antidepressants can also cause weight gain
What are some health problems associated with being overweight or disease?
• heart disease
• High blood pressure
• stroke (reduction of blood supply to the brain)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Varicose veins
• Gout (painful swelling of joints)
What is the treatment of obesity?
• Maintain a balanced diet by following the food pyramid
• Do not exclude any nutrient; reduce portion sizes instead
• Cut down on energy intake i.e following a low calorie diet
• increase daily exercise
• Establish a pattern of eating regular meals. Plan meals in advance so there is no temptation to snack in unhealthy foods because of hunger
• study food labels carefully, checking for fat and sugar content
• Avoid convenience foods and takeaways
• Drink plenty of water (at least eight glasses per day) as it fills you up and keeps you hydrated
• Choose low-fat and low-sugar alternatives eg; low-fat cheese, reduced sugar yoghurts, sugar free drinks’
• bake boil steam or grill foods instead of frying them
What do you eat plenty of?
• Fresh fruit eg: grapefruit, apples, pears
• leafy green vegetables eg: broccoli, spinach and cabbage
• Salad vegetables eg: cucumber, lettuce, peppers
• white fish eg: cod
• lean meats eg; turkey
• Low-fat dairy products eg: cheese, milk, yoghurt
• pulses
What do you think of reduce in your diet?
• Potatoes
• Bread
• rice
• Pasta
• Breakfast cereals especially if high in sugar
• Full-fat dairy especially cheese
• Fatty meats eg; pork
What do you avoid eating?
• Takeaways
• Fats eg: butter, cream, mayonnaise
• Fried foods
• Sugary soft drinks
• Cakes and pastries
• Sweets and chocolate
• Convenience foods eg: frozen pizza
• Crisps
• Alcohol
What are the vegetarian diets?
There are two main types of vegetarian:
• Vegans do not eat any animal products, eg: meat dairy or eggs. There diet is composed enteritis of plant foods
- fruit, vegetables, cereals and nuts
• Lacto vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or poultry but do not eat animal products eg; dairy and eggs
Why do people choose a vegetarian diet?
• Ethical reasons: many vegetarians believe that the killing of animals for food is morally wrong and object to the practice used in rearing animals for food eg: caged hens
• Health: vegetarians diets are lower in fat and higher in fibre which help to reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and bowel problems. Some people are concerned about antibiotics and hormones given to livestock transferring into our food
• Religion: vegetarianism is common in some religions eg: Buddhism
• Environmental reasons: it is less environmentally demanding to grow fruit vegetables and cereals
• Preference: some people do not like the taste smell or look of meat
What are some guidelines for planning a vegetarian diet?
• Vegans must make sure to eat0”3!57 of plant based protein sources such as pens beans nuts and meat alternatives such as say products (TVP) and mycoprotein foods
• Vegans need to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 (eg: TVP and breakfast cereals) or take a vitamin (B12) supplement to avoid deficiency
• Vegetarians and vegans need to eat plenty of plant foods that contain iron such as beans, leafy green vegetables and fortified products eg: breakfast cereals. They should also eat plenty of food containing vitamin C such as fresh fruit, to maximise the amount of iron being absorbed by the body
• look out the V-label which indicates that a food product is suitable for vegetarians
What are low salt diets?
Salt is required to maintain fluid balance in the body’s cells. It is recommend that adults consume no more than 6g of salt per day (2.4g of sodium). However on average Irish people consider 10g or more per day. This excess salt in the diet can cause many health problems
Salt makes the body hold onto water. Over a period of time, the extra water in the blood raises the blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure the greater the stain on your heart, arteries kidneys and brain. This can lead to strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease
What are some health problems associated with a high-salt intake?
• High blood pressure
• coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Fluid retention
• Kidney damage
What are some guidelines for reducing salt intake?
• do not have salt on the table
• Do not add salt when cooking. Instead flavour dishes with pepper and herbs
• Avoid processed foods, salty snacks and cured meats eg: bacon
• Use low-salt products eg: LoSalt
• Study food labels carefully - many high salt foods do not taste particularly salty. Look out for sodium chloride (NaCl), monosodium glutamate (MSG) and sodium sulfite as they are all salt or high in salt
What are low-fat/low-cholesterol diets?
Although fat is an essential part of our diet, too much fat or the wrong type of fat (saturated) can cause health problems and should be avoided. A particular type of saturated fat called trans-fat is especially bad for us. It is mainly found in hard-margarines
Saturated fats contain a substance called cholesterol a type of fat found in the blood. A certain amount is needed to produce hormones but too much cholesterol sticks to the artery Walls to form plague. This plague can build up and block or narrow the artery. This process is called atherosclerosis
