INTERVENTION MODULE

1. INTRODUCTION TO NUTRITION :

Nutrition is the term used for the scientific study of food and how it is utilized by the

body, scientific discipline with food as the major focus of interest.

The individuals between 13 to 19 years of age is called an adolescent.

The period of adolescence undergoes major physical, mental and emotional

changes.

Adolescence is a time of rapid physical and psychological (cognitive and emotional)

growth and development.

A time in which new capacities are developed and time of changing social

relationships, expectations, roles and responsibilities.

Nutrition during Adolescence should meet the following objectives:

o Provide the necessary nutrients to meet the demands of rapid physical and

psychological (cognitive and emotional) growth and development.

o Provide adequate stores for illness or pregnancy.

o Prevent adult onset of diseases related to nutrition eg. Cardiovascular

diseases, Diabetes, Osteoporosis and Cancer.

o Encourage healthy eating habits and lifestyle.

2. Health:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not

merely absence of disease or infirmity.

Health related problems in adolescence is due to sexual orientation conflicts,

eating disorders, lack of exercise/physical activities, unhealthy life style.

3. Personal Hygiene:

• Personal hygiene entails more than just being clean. It includes the many practices

that help people be, and stay, healthy.

• Many of the health problems that adolescents face are linked to their activities and

Habits.

• Adolescents also need to know how to take care of their evolving and changing bodies

• Bathing daily, use of a proper soap, maintaining dental and oral hygiene, care of the

eyes and ears, and grooming are some of the activities that adolescents need to car

out.

• Both girls and boys need to be aware and practice hygienic measures to promote

personal hygiene too.

• Washing the hands frequently to avoid spreading germs . Many diseases such as

diarrhoea, typhoid etc are caused due to germs present on dirty hands. Students

should ensure that their hands are clean, especially before eating any food.

• Everyone must wash hands thoroughly after going to the toilet and before having

meals.

• When should one wash the hands?

After using the toilet

Handling raw food (before and after)

Touching the hair, face, or body

Sneezing or coughing

Smoking, eating or drinking

Handling chemicals

Taking out garbage or trash

4 .Balanced diet:

• Balanced diet contains different types of foods in such quantities and proportions that

the needs for calories, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients is adequately met and a

small provision is made for extra nutrients to withstand short duration of leanness.

• Adolescents have a significant amount of knowledge regarding healthy foods and

balanced diets and believe that healthy eating involves moderation, balance and variety.

• Difficulties to follow healthy and balanced diet:

• Lack of time

• Limited availability of foods in schools

• General lack of public concern regarding healthy eating recommendation

• Families choosing inappropriate diets

• Lack of knowledge and information

5. Basic food Groups:

• Classification of food into the basic groups based on functions.

1) Energy giving Group

2) Body building Group

3) Protective or Regulatory Group

• Energy giving group includes carbohydrate rich foods and fat rich foods.

• Example: Cereals, Roots and tubers, Sugar and Jaggery, Fats and oils.

• Body building group includes those foods which are rich in protein.

• Example: Pulses, Nuts and oil seeds, Meat, Fish, Eggs, Milk and milk products.

• Protective and Regulatory Group of food includes Fruits and Vegetables.

• Example: Yellow and orange fruits, citrus fruits, Others, Green leafy vegetables, Yellow

and Orange vegetables and other vegetables.

• Need to combine several different types of foods from each of the main food groups in

the right amounts so the body gets all the nutrients it needs for maintaining a healthy

weight.

• Eating a healthy diet can reduce risk of obesity and illness such as Diabetes, heart

diseases, stroke, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.

6. Vitamins:

• Vitamins: These are vital and essential for life and health. They regulate metabolism,

help in growth and maintenance of our body and protect against disease.

• Two types of vitamins.

1) Fat soluble vitamin: Includes Vitamin A ,D, E and K

2) Water soluble vitamin: Includes Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C

Role of vitamin A:

1) To maintain normal vision.

2) Essential for growth of skeleton and soft tissues.

3) Protecting against diseases by keeping epithelial tissues moist and healthy.

• Sources of vitamin A are milk and milk products, fish, liver, egg, green leafy vegetables,

Yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetables.

Role of Vitamin D:

• Aids in deposition of minerals in the bones i.e mineralization of bones which makes bones strong and hard.

• Sources of Vitamin D are Sun light, Animal foods like eggs, liver and butter.

Role of Vitamin E:

1) It gives protection to other substances like unsaturated fatty acids, Vitamin A and C.

2) It prevents the destruction of them in body as well as food.

• Foods rich in Vitamin E are Vegetable oils like ground nut,soya, cotton seed and safflower, whole green cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, animal foods like egg yolk, butter and liver.

Role of Vitamin K:

Clotting of Blood hence called “Antibleeding Vitamin”.

• Sources of Vitamin K are Spinach, cabbage and lettuce. Animal foods like egg yolk, milk and organ meat like liver.

• Vitamin k also manufactured by certain helpful bacteria normally present in the small intestine.

Role of Vitamin B complex:

• Metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

• Proper functioning of digestive tract, nervous system, bone marrow and in formation of normal red blood cells.

• Sources of Vitamin B are Whole grain cereals and pulses, sprouts, green leafy vegetables, milk, liver, sea foods.

Role of Vitamin C:

• Wound healing by formation of a special kind of protein called collagen

• Secretion of two hormones Epinephrine and Non epinephrine from the adrenal glands of the body which helps to deal with stressful situations.

• Absorption of iron

• Protecting certain substances like Vitamin A and unsaturated fatty acids from destruction in body and foods.

• Sources of Vitamin C are fresh citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, Amla, guava, tomato, green chills, capsicum.

7. Minerals:

• Minerals plays a crucial role in adolescent nutrition. The increment in skeletal mass, body size and bone density associated with pubescence highlights the role of minerals in the growth process.

• Some minerals required in large amounts like: Calcium, Phosphorous, Sodium, Potassium , Chloride and Magnesium

• Some minerals required in small amounts like : Iron, Iodine, Zinc and Copper.

• Iron requirement peak during adolescence due to rapid growth with sharp increase in lean body mass, blood volume and red cell mass which increases iron needs for myoglobin in muscles and hemoglobin in blood.

• Proteins and Vitamin C present in foods increases the absorption of iron.

• In girls menstruation starts about one year after peak growth and some iron is lost during menstruation.

• Calcium requirement is greater during puberty and adolescence because of accelerated muscular, skeletal and endocrine development.

• Consumption of calcium rich products with every meal goes a long way towards ensuring that requirements are met for calcium and many other nutrients eg. Phosphorous, Magnesium and Vitamin D needed for bone health.

• Protein, carbohydrates and Vitamin-D present in diet helps to improve absorption of calcium.

• Zinc is essential for growth and sexual maturation. It enhances bone formation and inhibits bone loss.

• Iodine is essential for high growth velocity of adolescents and the increased iodine requirement during pregnancy.

• Key Functions Of Minerals:

8. Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI):

• It is the amount of nutrients to be actually consumed in order to meet the requirements of the body.

• RDI are basically the requirement plus a safer margin.

• Safer margin is added on to cover factors like:

• Variation in requirements from individuals to individual

• Periods of low intake

• Nature of diet

• Cooking losses

• RDI for Adolescents different for boys and girls.

Nutrients

Female Male

Age 11-14

Age 15-18

Age 11-14

Age 15-18

Energy kcal 2200 2200 2500 3000

Protein (gm) 46 44 45 59

Iron (mg) 15 15 12 12

Calcium (mg) 1200 1200 1200 1200

Zinc (mg) 12 12 15 15

Vitamin A 800 1000 800 1000

Vitamin D 10 10 10 10

Vitamin C (mg) 50 60 50 60

Folic acid (mcg) 150 180 150 200

9. Physical activity:

• Physical activity and exercises plays an important role for Adolescents.

• It helps to develop a healthy life style and reduces chronic disease incidence in adolescents.

• Helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints.

• Helps to control weight, build lean muscles and reduce fat.

• Prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure and helps reduce B.P in some adolescents with hypertension.

• Benefits of physical activities:

• Increases self confidence

• Improve concentration and memory

• Improves sleep

• Maintain healthy weight

• Develop strong muscle, bones and good posture.

• Daily some exercise, Yoga, pranayama, other activities for one hour is required for the adolescent for a healthy life.

• Moderate Activities:

• Brisk walking

• Dancing

• Bike riding

• Swimming

• Jogging

• Vigorous Activities:

1. Running

2. Basket ball

3. Sports – soccer, hockey and football