Importance of Nutritional

Healthcare
A Medical Institution
The Importance of Nutritional Healthcare
History of Clinical Nutrition
Importance of Nutrition
Modern Medicine and Nutrition
Improvements
History of Nutrition
One of the first examples in history, of nutrition, was that of James
Lind. A physician for the British Navy. In 1747, Lind conducted the first
scientific nutrition experiment. He discovered that lime juice helped
save sailors from scurvy which is a deadly disorder. The life saving
vitamin C, contained within limes, was not identified until 1932. (1)
Importance of Nutrition
What Is Clinical Nutrition?

Nutrition is the science of diet and how it interacts with

growth, development, metabolism, physiology, and related
interactions with the human body

The application of nutrition within the medical community

has major impacts on quality of healthcare within society
Importance of Nutrition
Why Nutrition is so A proper, well balanced diet is vital
important to health. Food provides us with
essentials that our body requires to
thrive.
Proper amounts of protein,
carbohydrates, essential fats,
vitamins, minerals, and energy are
required for proper health and
nutrition
Nutrition Related Illnesses
Not maintaining proper nutrition can lead to some of the following illnesses

Beri Beri, goiter, anemia, scurvy, rickets, osteoporosis,

marasmus, or kwashiorkor
Obesity which can also lead to secondary diseases such as;
Hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart
disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea,
certain types of cancer, depression, anxiety, body pain and
difficulty of physical functions, overall low quality of life (*4)
How Nutrition Impacts Todays Society
A major issue with obesity,
is that it causes secondary Malnutrition

issues
It is a difficult to fix
problem as many things
contribute to the issues Poor
Nutrition
Malnutrition is still seen in
Type 2
parts of America with Obesity
Diabetes

poverty
 How Nutrition Impacts Todays Society
Obesity is one of the largest health
Overweight and Obesity among
Adults 20 years and older in the concerns today in the United
United States, 2009-2010. States(*3)
It is one of the leading causes of death
in the U.S. and worldwide
Can lead to poor mental health, and
reduced quality of life
More than 2 in 3 adults considered to
be overweight or obese
Normal weight or Underweight
Overweight Economical impact on U.S. healthcare
Obese
Extremely Obese
system
 How Nutrition Impacts Todays Society
Obesity impacts more than just the individual, it also puts a strain on the U.S.
healthcare system with economic costs (*2)
In 2008 estimated costs of $147 billion (*2)
Individual monthly healthcare costs are increased
Avg. of $79 per overweight individual
Avg. of $132 per obese individual (*2)

Rising rates of obesity through the years

Some Issues Effecting Nutritional Healthcare

Education on
nutritional matters
Nutritional
guidelines
Too much incorrect
information for
fitness, exercise
and nutrition
Costs
Nutritional
guidelines
Improvements That Could Be Made
Increase funding for public
education about nutritional
health
Regulate the nutrition
industry to help maintain
scientific backed data
Implement cost benefits to
individuals who meet healthy
criteria
A more extreme measure would
be to increase costs for those
who exceed requirements;
much like car insurance
Improvements That Could Be Made

When it comes to nutrition, what we need is more

information, not more advice
(Dr. Gerald Reaven)
Works Cited
(*3)"Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 15 Aug. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

Campbell, T. Colin, and Thomas M. Campbell. The China study: the most comprehensive study of nutrition
ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health.
Dallas, TX: BenBella , 2016. Print.

(*1)Edes, Thomas E. "The Nutritional History." Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory
Examinations. 3rd edition. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 01 Jan. 1990. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

"Nutrition." University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

(*2)"Overweight and Obesity Statistics." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

TEDxTalks. "How Knowledge is Power in Nutrition | Dr. Wendy Pogozelski | TEDxSUNYGeneseo." YouTube.
YouTube, 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

(*4)"What are the health consequences of being overweight?" WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 03
Apr. 2017.

Written By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM on March 24th, 2015. "What's Driving America's Obesity Problem?"
NutritionFacts.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.