How Diet Determines Human Health, Growth, and Development - Essay Example

? Diet Introduction Diet refers to the total sum of food that a person consumes. It could specifically imply the specified nutritional intake for weight management or health reasons as observed by the Harvard School of Public Health, HSPH (2013). In many countries of the world, including America, where people from diverse origins meet, there are tendencies to adopt the diets from other people. Even so, Roth warns that “the diet that individuals follow will determine, to a large extent, their health, growth, and development” (2011, 3). Therefore, action on social, economic, cultural and political environment should be configured to one that promotes health. Proper dietary consideration should be adopted to promote good health and avert diseases. Dietary Recommendations Unlike in the past where focus was on treatment, health nowadays focuses on prevention approaches. This is because of the lesser cost involved in prevention than in treatment. One of the effective preventive approaches to diseases has been through appropriate dietary selection. According to Roth, “diet choice forms a logical starting point for preventive health care measures and education to improve quality of life” (2011, 3). Additionally, Robinson argues that “if we eat nutritious foods, we won’t need medicine or supplements” (2013). Proper diets provide nutrients that keep diseases and poor health away. Such diets help in checking weights and preventing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and many other chronic diseases. Lower carbohydrate and higher protein diets have weight loss benefit in the short run. When considering prevention of chronic diseases and weight gain, the quality of carbohydrates play a more crucial role than the quantity of carbohydrates (Phillips, 2005). According to Lobstein, Baur and Uauy (2004), milled and refined grains and their products such as white bread, white rice, white pasta and processed breakfast cereals among others, contain a lot of rapidly digested carbohydrates. Sugary drinks and potatoes have also been noted to be rich in rapidly digested carbohydrates. The Harvard School of Public Health, HSPH puts this into scientific context noting that such foods “have a high glycemic index and glycemic load” (2013). They rapidly and furiously increase insulin and blood sugar which could spike hunger in the short term leading to overeating. In the long term, this could lead to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and weight gain. For example, increased consumption of French fries, potato chips and potatoes, refined grains and sugary drinks causes weight gain of about 3.4, 1.3, 0.6 and 1.0 pounds over a span of four years respectively (Roth, 2011). Minimal intake of such foods reduces weight gain. Whole grains such as brown rice, barley and wheat among others get digested slowly compared to refined grains. As such, they have a gentle effect on insulin and blood sugar, helping to keep hunger at bay. This holds for a majority of fruits and vegetables. Studies by the HSPH shows that over 20 years, the studied samples subjected to this kind of diet recorded minimal weight increments of “-0.4, 0.5, and 0.2 pounds less every four years, respectively” (2013). According to Roth (2011), increasing the intake of these foods leads to reduced intake of the other foods, thus cutting on calories. The fiber in these foods has weight control benefits because of the effect of fiber in slowing down digestion, hence curbing hunger. Additionally, fruits and vegetables have high water content helping people fill up on few calories. As such, I have been a supporter of maximal consumption of vegetables and fruits to maintain proper body weight and form. Not only has the water that fills one fast and nourishes the skin been my argument for this but also because of the belief in the many forms of vitamins in these food sources that help keep diseases away. However, Robinson (2013) calls for revision of such myths. According to this scholar, the right varieties of vegetables and fruits should be chosen at the rightful quantities for maximum health benefits. For long, low-fat diets have been said to be key to good health and healthy weight. However, Lobstein et al. (2004) observe no evidence to support this postulate. In fact, according to HSPH, “following a low-fat diet does not make it any easier to lose weight than following a moderate or high fat diet” (2013). In disease prevention, low-fat foods do not offer special benefits. Furthermore, low-fat diets have been noted to be high in carbohydrates. For example, rapidly digested food sources like white rice and white bread have been noted to be high in carbohydrates. Diets rich in such foods increase the risk of diabetes, weight gain and heart disease. The type of fat consumed is more important than the amount of fat. The consumption of fats considered to be unhealthy, including trans fats and saturated fats, has been linked to weight gain. Healthy fats, including the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats do not cause weight gain. Diets rich in proteins have been noted to be more beneficial in weight loss over a short term. In the long term, the impact equals that of other diets. This is because protein-rich diets tend to have low carbohydrate content and have high fat content. Thus, eating a lot of proteins amounts to taking in less carbohydrate and more fats (Roth, 2011). Furthermore, consumption of higher calories from proteins plays a beneficial role in weight control as it increases satiety, causing people to “feel fuller, on fewer calories” that they would if they ate fat or carbohydrates (HSPH, 2013). It also has a greater thermic effect as the energy consumed in the metabolism and storage of proteins is higher as compared to other macronutrients which could in turn increase the daily amount of energy burnt. Lastly, proteins help hanging onto lean muscle which could be beneficial in boosting the burnt energy. High protein and lower carbohydrate diets play a critical role in improving the profiles of blood lipid and other metabolic markers. This helps in the prevention of heart diseases and diabetes (Roth, 2011). Nonetheless, some high-protein foods have been noted to be healthier than others. For instance, high consumption of processed and red meat has been largely associated with increased risk of contacting heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes (Phillips, 2005). These should therefore be substituted with fish, poultry, beans or nuts which pose lesser risk. Nuts, despite their small size, possess a lot of calories and are also high in fat. HSPH (2013) argue against this belief of nuts causing weight gain as they instead help control weight. This is so because nuts have a high content of fiber and proteins which help in feeling fuller thus averting hunger. It has also been observed that people regularly taking nuts rarely suffer from heart diseases than their counterparts who do not. Impact of Poor Dietary Consideration Poor diets, especially those made up of sugary drinks and refined grains, largely contribute to weight gain and promote chronic diseases. One of the major effects of poor dietary considerations is obesity. Obesity largely affects young people. According to Lobstein et al. (2004), 10% of school-aged children around the world suffer from overweight, a quarter of who suffer from obesity. Obesity poses the risk of such children suffering from heart diseases, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, gall bladder disease, type 2 diabetes and other co-morbidities. Though the problem has been found to be rising rampantly across the world, economically developed nations such as Canada, Australia and the US contribute the greatest to people suffering from obesity. Compounded by lack of physical activity, the cause of obesity has been attributed to poor diet. Those children in poor countries suffer from obesity due to “exposure to Westernized diets coinciding with a history of undernutritions” (Lobstein et al., 2004, 5). The world food economy has largely contributed to a shift in dietary patterns, for instance, promoting consumption of diets rich in energy and fat, specifically the saturated fat and diets low in unrefined carbohydrates. Combining such diets with declined energy expenditure due to sedentary lifestyle – domestic labor-saving devices, motorized transport and physically undemanding leisure among others – increases the chances of one being obese. Due to poor diets, there has been an increase in the number of overweight people. According to Phillips “93% of women and 82% of men care about their appearance and work to improve it (2011, 3). To improve on their appearance, there has been an increased tendency towards plastic surgery. America has been particularly been popular with cosmetic enhancements with millions of both surgical and nonsurgical procedures being performed in the country. Though women constitute the greater percentage of those seeking for these services, it has been noted that men also undergo these procedures. Despite all these efforts, plastic surgery does not give the beautiful natural look that is desirable. For that reason, Holson observes a shift in the media and film industry from recruiting actors and media personalities who have undergone plastic surgery to “more natural looking actors… because the amply endowed, freakishly young-looking crowd” that auditions for these positions “suffer from too much sameness” (2010). The reporter goes further to describe the unnatural appearance of these people which do not come close to desirable. Dietary Intervention and Recommendations As such, proper dietary remains an appropriate and sustainable approach to good looking bodies. There have been approaches towards reversing and preventing further occurrence of obesity. Of concern in this paper is the improvement of nutritional habits among people. Reversing an obese case still remains controversial using the available approaches according to Lobstein et al. (2004). As such, prevention remains the best approach. This would be achieved through a combination of physical activity and proper dietary consideration. This way, people get to maintain proper weights, good skin texture and good physiques and body images without much pain and cost. Poor diet has seen fast food restaurants come under criticism. It is such criticism that has seen McDonald’s reduce the amount of calories in its children’s meal. According to Strom, the company more than halved “the amount of French fries and add[ed] fruits to its popular children’s meal in an effort to reduce the overall calorie count by 20 percent” (2011). The meal had been noted to be a contributor to obesity among children in the US. Other restaurants that deal with children’s meals have also been on the front to improve the dietary value of children’s meals and cut on marketing appeals that attract children to unhealthy and junk foods. Studies indicate that a majority of the modern produce have low phytonutrients, compounds with the potential of reducing diabetes, cancer, dementia and cardiovascular diseases. This has been occasioned by the reproduction of the phytonutrients available from wild plants to more artificial ones available in supermarkets. As noted by Robinson, wild dandelions that used to be common among the Native Americans give seven times more phytonutrients as compared to what is nowadays considered as a “superfood,” spinach (2013). Thus, it was rare for ancient people to die of diseases as a majority died from injuries. Additionally, despite these ancient farmers’ preference for diets high in oil, starch and sugar and low in fiber, they derived the calories needed for their strenuous lifestyles from these energy-dense plants. For there to be maximal gains on proper diet, there has to be support from the government in making dietary information available to the public. Various governments should seek to educate its public on appropriate dietary considerations to eliminate the effects of poor diets (Strom, 2011). It should also set up legislations that deter the promotion and marketing of unhealthy foods while at the same time promoting the availability and consumption of healthy foods. This would go a long way in boosting the individual, communal and healthcare professionals’ efforts in promoting healthy diet consumption to keep people in rightful weights and protect them against diseases. Conclusion From this essay, it is clear that healthy diets play an important role in preventing chronic diseases and weight gain. It has equipped me with additional information on the importance of having a proper diet for a healthy life. The general recommended dietary requirement calls for higher proteins but lower carbohydrates intake. Contrary to my previous belief that processed foods contain lower carbohydrates, this research has made me appreciate that whole foods or minimally processed foods such as whole grains, plant oils, fruits, nuts and vegetables provide a healthier source of nutrients. They are digested slowly and thus reduce food intake. Sugared beverages, red and processed meats, potatoes and highly processed foods like fast foods should be minimized as they have a similar effect as processed grains. Vegetables and fruits also induce the feeling of being full because of their high water content, thus limiting food consumption. However, my idea of taking too much fruits and vegetables does not have any health benefit. Form this research it is the variation of these fruits and vegetables that matters. I have also learnt that not all fats are unhealthy as it has been indicated that beneficial fats, the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, do not have weight gain effect. Additionally, low fat foods do not have any special benefits, thus the need to be cautious on the type of fat and not amount of fat consumed. Since the dietary choices of people are determined by the available foods in the environment, the government should promote environmental and policy changes that would make healthy foods easily accessible and deter the marketing of any unhealthful foods which have been noted to cause diseases and weight gain that could promote unhealthy practices like plastic surgery. References Harvard School of Public Health. (2013). Food and diet. Retrieved 16 November 2013 from www.hsph.harvard.edu Holson, L. (2010, April 23). A little too ready for her close-up? The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2013 from www.nytimes.com Lobstein, T., Baur, L., & Uauy, R. (2004). Obesity in children and young people: A crisis in public health. Obesity Reviews, 5 (1), 4 – 85. Phillips, K. A. (2005). Understanding and treating body dysmorphic disorder: The broken mirror. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Robinson, J. (2013, June 2). Breeding the nutrition out of our food. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2013 from www.nytimes.com Roth, R. A. (2011). Nutrition & diet therapy (10th ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar. Strom, S. (2011, July 26). McDonald’s trims its happy meal. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 November 2013 from www.nytimes.com Read More