Unit 21 – Understand influences on dietary intake and nutritional health
In this assignment I am going to explain possible influences on dietary intake, assess how influences on dietary intake may affect the nutritional health of individuals, then I will make realistic recommendations for minimising negative influences on individuals in a specific health and social care setting.
Factors what influence what people eat include could be health factors which restrict dietary choices and nutritional intake could be underlying health conditions such as; lactose intolorence where dairy products within the diet is restricted, so the person will have to get calcium from other products like fish- and also use alternatives for milk like soya or rice milk. The person could have a food allergy like a nut allergy so this means they can’t eat products that contain nuts or traces of nuts. Dietary habits can infucence could be ones like meal patterns- if they work shift patterns then this could have a big infuence on the times the person eats food because they won’t have consistant meal times and be eating at all different times of the day. Snacking could be another factor because they may get bored waiting for food to cook and decide to snack this could lead to putting on weight, also food availablity- if they live in a area that is surrounded by takeaways; they will want to go and eat a takeaway rather than cook as it is easier. This fits into lifestyle; the person might not live near a gym and live near lots of unhealthy places, they could live near a deprived area and may not want to go for a run to get excersice; they may also go out a lot with friends (social eating and drinking) these all have an impact on a persons health. A persons occupation is a factor- if someone has a job that requires sitting at a desk, they aren’t getting much excersise and will gain weight, however- if their job is being a fitness trainer or a football coach, then they will get consistant excersice. The economical climate is a big factor as wages have stayed the same and the price of food and drinks has gone up, and also access to shops- the person may not have a car or the funds spare to get a bus, and if their corner shop raises it’s prices of food then the person will have to pay for them as they can’t afford to get a bus or a taxi. They may not be able to afford healthy food and processed foods are often cheaper (like pizza and microwave meals) so it is easier. If a person has cultural beliefs- if they are a vegetarian or a vegan, this can affect their dietry choices as they will only want to eat non-meat products/non-animal produce, and often these products are more expensive. Education has a big impact on heath factors, as many people haven’t been educated on what nutrition labels mean so they dont understand what is on the label.
