C-1

Food
Choices
and
Human
Health

Introduction
Food Gives:
Nutrients
Calories (kcalories)
Unit of heat

Nutrition?
Study of how nutrients nourish the body

Diet
Diet?
Not something you go on and off
Foods and beverages a person consumes
Impacts health
Positively or negatively depending on the diet

Does Diet
Matter?

Does Diet
Matter?
56% of deaths are
nutrition related
(1,2,4,7)
4:10 causes of death
are diet related

Nutrition and Health

Malnutrition
-Nutrient deficiencies (Undernutrition)
-Nutrient excesses (Overnutrition)
-Both

Lifestyle and Health

Only thing worse than a bad diet is:
Excessive alcohol
Tobacco use

Kills 443,000 Americans per year (per CDC) (1:5 deaths in U.S.)

7,000 chemicals per puff rapidly spreads to cause cell damage in all organs. Some are
known carcinogens.
Makes blood more sticky allowing clots to form
Narrows blood vessels

Male smokers lose 13.2 years of life

Women lose 14.5 years of life
Cost: $ 75 billion in direct medical costs
$ 82 billion in lost productivity
Total: $157 billion

We have control!!

Lifestyle and Health

Chronic disease?
Take years to develop & causes the body
to break down
Heart disease
Diabetes
Osteoporosis

Risk Factors
Risk factors
Increases risk of developing disease
# of risk factors = risk of disease
# of risk factors = risk of disease

Risk Factors
Non-controllable risk factors include:
Genetics
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Environment

Risk Factors
Controllable risk factors include:
Diet
Alcohol consumption
Drug use
Tobacco use
Stress
Lack of exercise
Lack of sleep
Overweight
Underweight

Risk Factors
Snowball of risk factors
Excess calories
Overweight
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
heart disease

Nutrition vs. Genetics in Disease

6 Categories of
6 categoriesNutrients
of nutrients

Energy yielding nutrient?

Nutrient Density
Nutrient density
Amount of nutrients per calorie of food
nutrients and calories
Choose foods based on this

Nutrient Density
Fruit Juice
Liquid separated from pulp (fiber)
Concentrated in calories
Nutrient dense?
No! i.e. How many oranges does it take to
make OJ? Get the calories from all oranges.

Nutrient Density
100% Juice versus:
Juice beverages
Juice drinks
Juice Cocktails
All are glorified Kool-Aid; mostly sugar

Nutrients in Food
Essential nutrients
Nutrients body needs,
but cant make
-Must eat

Nutrient
Class

Essential
nutrient

Carbohydrate

Glucose

Fat

Linoleic acid
linolenic acid

Protein

9 amino
acids of 20

Vitamins

All 13

Minerals

25

Water

Yes

Terms

Nonnutrients
Phytochemicals
Non-nutrient
Plant foods
May reduce disease
Give color, taste, etc. to foods
Blueberries, tomatoes

What is a Healthy Diet?

What is a Healthy Diet?

Adequacy
Eat enough of all essential nutrients

What is a Healthy Diet?

Balance
Eat enough, but not too much of any food
or nutrient

What is a Healthy Diet?

Calorie control
Dont eat excess calories

What is a Healthy Diet?

Moderation
Eat nothing in excess

What is a Healthy Diet?

Variety
Eat different foods from all food groups

Why Do We Eat?

Why Do We Eat?
Factors that drive food choices
Advertising
Availability
Economy
Emotional comfort
Habit
Personal preference

Positive associations
Region of the country
Social pressure
Values or beliefs
Weight
Nutritional value

The Stages of Behavior Change

Science of Nutrition
Young science (~1900)
Information learned by experiments
Knowledge base changes

OBSERVATION & QUESTION

Identify a problem to be
solved or ask a specific
question to be answered.

HYPOTHESIS & PREDICTION

Formulate a hypothesisa
tentative solution to the problem
or answer to the questionand
make a prediction that can
be tested.

EXPERIMENT

Design a study and

conduct the research to
collect relevant data.

RESULTS & INTERPRETATIONS

Summarize, analyze, and

interpret the data; draw
conclusions.

HYPOTHESIS
SUPPORTED

THEORY

Develop a theory that

integrates conclusions
with those from
numerous other studies.

HYPOTHESIS NOT SUPPORTED

NEW OBSERVATIONS
& QUESTIONS

Fig. 1-3, p. 13

Research Designs
Epidemiological Study
Whole populations
Tells correlations between diet & health
Identifies possible disease causes

Research Designs
Case Study
Study of individuals
Observe treatment and effects
Leads to more research ideas

Research Designs
Laboratory Study
Controlled conditions
Tests disease causes and treatments

Research Designs
Intervention Study
Intervene in peoples diets
Experimental group
Control group
Blind study
Double blind study
Shows impact of treatment

Science of Nutrition
One study result doesnt = a fact
Preliminary finding
May be discredited later
Do not change diet!
Repeat findings are most reliable

Findings proven enough times are

accepted as fact
Being published does NOT = fact

Evaluating Nutrition Info

Evaluating Nutrition Info

Evaluating Nutrition Info

Consider the following:
Published in a peer-reviewed journal

Evaluating Nutrition Info

Similarity between controls
Sample size
Placebo effectively administered
Blind or double blind
Findings put into proper context
Consider funding source

Evaluating Nutrition Info

Confounding factors
Diet, exercise, tobacco use, alcohol
consumption, drug use, lifestyle

Consider applicability to you

Does it make sense!

Media and Nutrition

Report preliminary findings
Dont understand science
Sensationalizes things that are true
Even if something is true, consider the big
picture and overall diet

Controversy 1
Nutrition quackery
Claim for a miracle cure without scientific
evidence to back it up
Weight loss, body building, energy pills

Will never go away

-$27 billion dollars per year

ABC video clip:

Weight Loss Ads

Weight Loss Ads

Click on the
gfffgsd
man and then
Click
the man and on each item
eachon
item

Reliable Nutrition Advice?

Grandma?
Health food store clerk?
Coaches?
Personal trainer?
Physicians?

Reliable Nutrition Advice

Nutritionist
No legal definition

Registered Dietitian
Accredited school
BS
Internship
National Exam
Continuing professional education

Careers in Dietetics
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ADA)

Association of Nutrition Experts Professional Member

Internet
Research
Questions