A Balanced Diet

Objectives:

State what is meant by balanced diet

Describe a balanced diet

Describe the effects of malnutrition in relation to starvation, coronary artery disease, constipation, and obesity

Describe the deficiency symptoms for vitamin C & D, Iron, Calcium

A balanced diet: contains carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fiber in the correct proportions

Carbohydrates• Gives you the energy you need to

move and grow• Too much = gain weight• Too little = feel tired

Proteins• Are essential for growth and repair • Too much = gain weight & might

make a lot of urine • Too little = will not grow properly &

wounds will not heal

Fats• Contain fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E &

K) • Too little = will not get all the vitamins

you need, may not have enough insulation

• Too much = gain weight

Vitamins

Keep you healthy– A – B1, B2 etc up to B12 – C *– D *– E

What if I don’t get enough…

• Vitamin C– Anemia– Bleeding gums; Gingivitis– Decreased ability to fight infection; wound-healing rate– Dry and splitting hair– Easy bruising– Nosebleeds– Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism– Rough, dry, scaly skin– Swollen and painful joints– Weakened tooth enamel

– SEVERE deficiency can lead to scurvy• causes general weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin

hemorrhages.

What if I don’t get enough…

• Vitamin D– Severe deficiency can lead to Ricket’s which can

cause softening and weakening of the bones– Bone pain/tenderness– Dental deformities– Impaired growth– Increased bone fractures– Muscle cramps– Short stature (adults less than 5 feet tall)– Skeletal deformities

Minerals

• Calcium*: for teeth, bones, muscles & nerves,

• Iron*: to make the hemoglobin in your blood

• Iodine: to control how fast your body works

• Sodium, Potassium and Chlorine: needed by muscles and nerves

What if I don’t get enough…

• Iron– most common nutritional deficiency and the leading

cause of anemia in the United States – Symptoms

• Feeling tired and weak • Decreased work and school performance • Slow cognitive and social development during

childhood • Difficulty maintaining body temperature • Decreased immune function, which increases

susceptibility to infection • Glossitis (an inflamed tongue)

What if I don’t get enough…

• Calcium– Can weaken bones, causing them to become brittle– Osteoporosis

• thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time.

– Symptoms don’t appear until LATE in disease!!• Bone pain or tenderness• Fractures with little or no trauma• Loss of height (as much as 6 inches) over time• Low back pain due to fractures of the spinal bones• Neck pain due to fractures of the spinal bones• Stooped posture or kyphosis, also called a "dowager's hump"

Fiber• Not digested• If you do not eat fiber your bowels

will not work properly.

Effects of Malnutrition• Don't expect to remain healthy if you do

not have a balanced diet.

• It's hard to imagine, but many Americans are malnourished.

• An estimated 70% of Americans do not receive sufficient nutrients, according to Daryn Peterson, Ph.D. HMD.

Malnutrition• Occurs when a diet provides nutrients in sub-

optimal amounts.

• Causes – Unbalanced diet – Even the lack of one vitamin can lead to malnutrition

• Effects– fatigue– dizziness – weight loss– you may have no symptoms

*Malnutrition can be so severe that the damage done to the body is permanent, even though you survive.

Starvation• Form of malnutrition• Occurs when a person fails to consume or

absorb an adequate amount of nutrients and calories

• Effects– Impaired brain function– Brittle nails, splitting or breaking hair, and dry

skin– Low blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms– Fatigue and weakness – Weakened immune system

Prevention: Balanced diet

Obesity• Being obese is NOT about what you weigh, it's

about having too much fat in your body.

• One-third of adults ages 20 and older are considered obese, which is defined as having a body mass index greater than 30.

• Causes of Obesity– Imbalance of calories taken in versus calories burned through

physical activity– Lifestyle habits, eating behaviors and stress. – Too little sleep (affects hormones that increase appetite)

• Effects– Increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and

some cancers

Prevention: balanced diet and exercise

Heart Disease• Coronary artery disease: most common type of

heart disease. • Leading cause of death in the United States for

men and women.• Arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become

hardened and narrowed due to the buildup of cholesterol

• Heart muscle can't get the blood or oxygen it needs. This can lead to heart attack.

• Prevention:– Balanced diet – Eating lots of fiber– Exercise

Constipation• 3 or fewer bowel movements/week

• Causes– Poor diet, lack of fluids, little exercise, medications – Occasionally, long-term constipation develops into fecal

impaction (a blocked colon)• Causes pain and vomiting, & may require emergency

treatment or hospitalization. • Fairly common complication of long-term constipation in

the elderly and bedridden

• Prevention– Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains = fiber– Drinking plenty of water and other liquids – Exercise