StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development - Assignment Example

Summary
This paper 'Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development" focuses on the fact that the kind of food that we eat affects our overall growth and development. We may not be aware of it but some of the foods that we eat every day are harmful to our body. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.5% of users find it useful
Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development"

Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development I. Introduction The kind of food that we eat affects our overall growth and development. We may not be aware of it but some of the foods that we eat everyday are harmful to our body and these unhealthy foods can eventually make us sick. We may not like the sound of it but some food heals and some food kills. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, healthy eating is essential to promote healthy growth and development. The nutritious foods help maintain healthy skin, bones, internal organs and other parts of the body. When we eat right, healthy foods, we maintain high energy levels so we perform better at work and at play. Healthy eating also help war off certain types of diseases and lower the risk of eating disorders, malnutrition, dental carries, constipation and iron deficiency anemia (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2005). However, since all of us have unique nutritional needs and we consume varying amounts of energy daily, we may have different nutrition requirements. As it is, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture (2005) the there is no such thing as a diet that fits all so we need to strive hard to plan our meals and make sure that we eat enough foods from the right food groups. Where healthy diet benefits the body, an unhealthy diet and lifestyle can lead to a host of disease that when left untreated, could prove to be fatal. This essay aims to present a clear picture of how poor diet can harm the body and prevent us from reaching out full potentials. The essay will discuss on how we could eat right to prevent certain types of diseases and stay healthy. II. Effects of Poor Diet Eating the wrong kind of food can have some serious consequences to our health. A lot of us find it hard to picture how delicious fast foods, French fries and yummy ice cream can do to our bodies. To get a better perspective, imagine what would happen to your car if you put water on its fuel tank instead of gasoline or diesel. When you put water into the fuel tank of your car, your car will not run. The worst part is that when the water from the fuel tank of your car gets pumped into the system of the car, the internal parts of the car may rust. When this happens, you have to spend a lot of to overhaul the car and out it back into shape. The same thing happens to our body when we eat the wrong types of food. We may not feel the ill effects of unhealthy eating right away but sooner or later, our bodies will show the effects of our poor diet. How? According to the CDC (2008), unhealthy eating can lead to atherosclerosis which is the most common cause of heart disease. Atherosclerosis is often associated with high blood cholesterol level which is often caused by poor eating habits. People who consume large amounts of trans fats often have high cholesterol level and are at risk of stroke and heart problems (CDC, 2008). Poor diet not only causes atherosclerosis and high blood cholesterol level, it can also trigger osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone which is caused by inadequate calcium intake. A lot of people, especially those in their advance years, often blame their age for their brittle bones but in really, not only old people suffer from loss of bone mass. According to the CDC (2008), since the human bone stop growing as we reach the age of 35-40, we need to eat right to slowdown the aging process of our bones. By eating foods that are rich in calcium, we can keep out bones strong and healthy. Unhealthy eating can lead to a lot of health problems as we grow older so it is very import to start eating right at an early age. Studies show that unhealthy eating can lead to obesity. According to CDC (2008), the prevalence of obesity among children between the ages of 6 and 11 has more than doubled in the last 20 years and the rate of obese adolescents (aged 12-19) has more tripled in the same span of time. Since most obese kids often become obese adults, we end up with a predominantly obese population. According to the CDC (2008), less than 40% of kids in the United States eat well and meet the U.S. dietary guidelines for saturated fats while only 39% of kids ages 2-17 meet the dietary recommendation for fibers (CDC, 2008). III. Eating Right According to the food guide pyramid issued by the USDA (2005), to stay healthy, we need to get the right amount of nutrients from the six food groups namely, the (a) carbohydrates group, (b) vegetable group, (c) fruit group, (d) oil group, (e) dairy group and (f) protein group. a. Eat Carbohydrates In Moderation The carbohydrates group provides the best sources of energy for the body. Carbohydrates are easily converted into glucose and transported through the blood to produce energy. Good sources of carbohydrates include pasta, beans, breads, potatoes, rice, cereals and bran. Although carbohydrates are good sources of energy for the body, we should not consume too much of it. According to the CDC (2008), eating too much carbohydrate can lead to obesity and when you become obese, you are bound to experience a lot of health problems. To stay healthy, the USDA (2005) recommends that we should get around 55-75% of our total daily energy needs from carbohydrates and out of this portion, only 10% should directly come from sugar or simple carbohydrates. b. Vegetables and Fruits Groups Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables has many health benefits. These types of foods contain plenty of high soluble fibers and are very low in fats and calories. According to the USDA (2005), fresh fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals that are good for the body. For instance, green vegetables typically contain plenty of vitamin A while dark green and dark orange vegetables are loaded with vitamin C. Vegetables like broccoli are good sources of iron and calcium. To stay healthy, the USDA (2005) recommends that we eat 3 to 5 servings of fresh, canned, frozen or juiced fruits and vegetables daily. c. The Oil Group Oils are fats that come from different sources including plants and fishes. Most types of oils contain large amounts of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Oils that come from plants do not contain cholesterol but a few plaint based oils including palm kernel oil and coconut oil has high saturated fats that can be harmful to the body (USDA, 2005). Saturated fats or trans fats promote build up of flakes around the arteries so it very important that we limit out intake of this type of fats to just about 2% of our daily calorie needs (USDA, 2005). Trans fats are often found in butter, pork fat, beef fat, chicken fat, shortening and stick margarine (USDA, 2005). To stay healthy, we should avoid eating foods that have trans fats and stick to healthier oils which do not contain cholesterol such as canola oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil and soybean oil (USDA, 2005). d. Dairy and Protein Groups The dairy and protein groups are essential for growth and development. Dairy products help strengthen our bones while protein rich foods are essential for muscle development (USDA, 2005). To keep our bones strong, we need to drink at least two glasses of milk daily (USDA, 2005). Adults should opt for fat-free or low fat milk, cheese and yogurt instead of full cream milk. For people who are lactose intolerant, the USDA (2005) recommend calcium fortified foods and beverages including milk from soya and fruit juices that are fortified with calcium. When it comes to protein, meat, poultry and fishes are some of the best sources of protein. Protein can also be found in some nuts, fruits and vegetables. IV. Conclusion The kind of food that we eat defines us in terms of health, physical and mental growth and development. Certain types of food are helpful to the body while others are harmful. Eating the right amount of food from the right food group is very important. Note that eating too much even from the right food groups is bad for our health. The human body is very unique and it is designed to take in just enough food to convert into energy. If we eat too much, our body will not be able to process all the food that we eat, thus, we end up being obese and sickly. By eating well, we can prevent certain types of diseases and stay healthy.   Works Cited Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2008) Nutrition and Health of Young People http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/nutrition/facts.htm United States Department of Agriculture (2005) Dietary Guidelines for Americans http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2005/2005DGPolicyDocument.pdf Read More

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Understanding How Our Diet Affects Our Overall Growth and Development

Organizational Structure: NutriSystem

NutriSystem's mission is 'to provide a weight loss program based on quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan; individualized counseling is the core of our commitment that customers always have the privacy, support, and knowledge needed to reach their goal weight' (Nutrisystem.... This affects the mission and strategy, leadership, and culture of an organization.... Together, transformational and transactional factors affect motivation, which affects performance....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Healthy Living and Nutrition

Infants, children, and teenagers require more of certain nutrient to facilitate growth and development, for example calcium.... As children and teenagers the nutrient needs shift, to accommodate the years of growth and development ahead of them.... There is a great amount of evidence to support that nutrition plays a huge role in the development of illness and chronic illness, both, in their present life and in the future.... There is a great amount of evidence to support that nutrition plays a huge role in the development of illness and chronic illness, both, in their present life and in the future....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Relationship between Our Diets, Our Cultures, and Our Life Spans

This paper "Relationship between our Diets, our Cultures, and our Life Spans" is an inquiry into the behavioral genetics theory with methodologies to assess the etiology of individual differences in a population.... In this vein, this paper discusses the contribution of behavioral genetic research to the understanding of individual differences in health from infancy to old age in order to better understand the relationship between our diets, cultures, and life spans....
22 Pages (5500 words) Essay

Can Natural Disasters Be Considered to Be Matters of International Security

our international security is now defined as the collective security of each nation.... Today's threats to our security are all interconnected.... our strategies must be comprehensive.... our institutions must overcome their narrow preoccupations and learn to work across the whole range of issues, in a concerted fashion.... What affects one country has an impact on the world as a whole.... As such, what affects one, affects us all....
13 Pages (3250 words) Essay

Challenging perspective on child development

rowth and development is affected by genetic and environmental factors.... Based on research work done in this field various theories of child development sprang up.... Each theory viewed development to have occurred from either Nature or Nurture or due to an interaction of both.... A knowledge of the development of the child is vital to educate parents, teachers, and to plan various educational policies .... stating Developmentally Active Practice brought forth 12 principles of Child development and Learning as a guide for People who work with children (Bredekamp and Copple, 1997) ...
15 Pages (3750 words) Essay

Nurses Role in Promoting Healthy Diet for Elderly with Dementia

The paper "Nurses Role in Promoting а Heаlthy diet for Elderly with Dementiа" names diet as universаl way to prevent dementiа eаsy to аpply with а wide rаnge of heаlth benefits.... In the following pаper, I аm going to tаke а look into the importаnce of nursing in promoting heаlthy diet for older people with dementiа....
18 Pages (4500 words) Assignment

The Negative Effects of Gluten in Food

Researches are underway to know more about how gluten affects the health of a person.... The best way to avoid diseases for a gluten sensitive patient is to be on a gluten-free diet.... This paper "The Negative Effects of Gluten in Food" focuses on the fact that in recent years, there has been a disturbing rise in the number of people diagnosed with obesity, osteoporosis, depression, celiac disease and non-celiac related food allergies....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

Vegetarianism in Sustainability of Our Planet

The aim of this paper "Vegetarianism in Sustainability of our Planet" is to identify the extent to which vegetarianism has an effect on the sustainability of our planet since meat consumption is one of the major contributors to human-made environmental destruction including climate change....
12 Pages (3000 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us