Evaluate The Relative Importance Of Different Factors Affecting The Nutritional Health And Well Being Of Two Groups Of Individuals

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Danielle Lant                28th November, 2007

Nutrition        

Evaluate The Relative Importance Of Different Factors Affecting The Nutritional Health And Well Being Of Two Groups Of Individuals (D1)

        A balanced diet is important for an individual’s nutritional health. A varied and balanced diet can help to maintain a healthy body weight, enhance general wellbeing and reduce the risk of a number of diseases including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Not everyone has the resources to maintain a balanced diet, and there are many factors that influence nutritional health. I will be looking at factors that affect the nutritional health of people in the later stages of life and children.

        When teenagers cease to grow their nutritional intake changes to atone with their body. As people age, their nutritional intake decreases, this is because people in the later stages of life have less use for energy and their body mass decreases. Older people often eat less food, consequently they may lack important vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron. Members of the aged population should be encouraged to eat little meals and to make sure that the food they choose contains the right nutrients for them. Every age group has foods that they are advised not to eat, this is the same with older people, they are not recommended to eat too many foods that contain saturated fat, as high levels of saturated fat can cause heart disease and high cholesterol. People in the later stages of life are also encouraged to take part in regular exercise.

Another factor that affects the nutritional health of the elderly is their socioeconomic status and their overall wealth. There are some elderly people that live on a government pension and still find it difficult to buy food due to the overall high cost of living. This can lead to many people in later life living in poverty and lacking the essential vitamins and minerals for a healthy diet, this can lead to under nutrition.

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“Old people at home are particularly vulnerable to a poor diet, and they are also at risk in hospitals and residential homes, where a lack of resources and staff time means that they do not always get well fed. Malnutrition leads to lower physical strength, greater inactivity, a higher risk of accidents, a weaker immune system, and osteoporosis. Poor vision, macular degeneration, and cataracts are all also now being linked to diets low in fruits and vegetables and antioxidants” (bmj.com)

        After entering the later stages of life some people start to find it difficult to go places, this could affect the food they eat if they live ...

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