The Negative Effects Diet has on Health - Essay Example

? Diet Diet Introduction In terms of nutrition, diet is an aspect of health that is composed of the sum of food an organism consumes. A healthy diet implies intake of specific nutrition for the purpose of health management in terms of lowering health risks including cancer, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and obesity (Cutler & Lleras-Muney 2013). Further, a healthy diet primarily involves consumption of vegetables, whole grains and fruits that meet caloric needs and provide adequate water, fibre, phytochemicals and essential nutrients. This paper will outline the negative effects diet has on health and also examine how various psychological and social factors of human beings impact on health. Humans are omnivorous in nature, but both psychological and social factors have a significant influence on the dietary habits of individuals or a community, some of which may be useful and others harmful. For the purpose of this paper, ethnic/cultural and educational factors will be examined under the social angle, while memory and attitude factors will be discussed under the psychological aspect. Such factors strongly influence the deliberate choice of food intake. Indeed, diet has its detrimental effects on health when not undertaken properly and as per guidance from professionals. Individuals wishing to undergo a diet will be restricting themselves in what they drink and eat aiming at losing weight or becoming healthier (Conner & Norman 2005). Although healthy dieting averts complications like diabetes, the partakers may also fall victim to various negative outcomes like the weakening of the immune system. Such negative results deter the body’s ability to manage the changes dieting causes and how well it adapts to new behaviors. The understanding of the variables encountered in the body enables dieting people to decide their failure or success. For example, calories are essential in providing energy and supporting bodily functions. However, if consumed excessively during a diet, they not only increase the body’s fat content, but body weight as well. A deficit leads to lack of energy and constant fatigue. Carbohydrates are also a source of energy, but failure to distinguish between healthy sources is detrimental. Rather than getting the supply from sugary foods like sweets and soft drinks, they should be obtained in a more readily available form like corn, rice and cereals. Over indulging and under indulging in certain nutrients leads to either dangerous and unhealthy weight gain or loss. Life threatening conditions then set in, such as binge eating, bulimia and anorexia. In anorexia, a dieter is tormented by the fear of getting overweight, and in bulimia, a dieter usually ends up in recurring cycles of purging and binge eating. The dieter abuses diuretics and laxatives in a bid to acquire desired looks. Below is an examination of social and psychological factors and their influence on health. Cultural/ethnic Factors Growing up in distinctive traditions, cultural values and beliefs determines diet choices and how food is prepared among diverse communities in diverse sections of the world, with each ethnic group having their own culturally based food habits (Shepherd 1999). Therefore, different cultures, which are further embedded in ethnicity and religion, produce varied health risks in different people. As an example, African Americans are prone to diabetes and heart diseases mainly due to their cuisine. On the other hand, although they cannot be completely written off, such diseases are less prevalent among the East Asian cultures as their cuisine is mainly composed of vegetables, seafood and low-fat foods (Rubin 2004). This is because some diets are already a part of some nations’ culture. Migrating populations may, however, be an exception, as seen among South Asian women who moved to Scotland and recorded an increased intake of fats that was associated with a higher body mass index and more incidences of heart disease. In the same fashion, food is a key aspect of the Mexican culture, with their traditional cuisine being high in fibre and low in fats, dominated by beans, rice, tortillas and corn (Haralombos & Holborn 2008). However, those who migrated to America record high rates of prevalence of type 2 diabetes. People travelling on vacation often overindulge in food on their destinations, exposing themselves to health risks. Within the cultural setup, social context is made up of people with an impact on others’ eating behavior as well as the environment in which dietary choices are consumed. An individual’s food choice may be influenced directly by buying food for them or indirectly when they learn from others by copying food behavior. The setting for consumption of food, for example in restaurants, work, school or home, influences food choice by the available options. Another example of cultural influence on diet is from the Mediterranean. Nutrition experts found that diets in areas like southern Italy, Crete and some parts of Greece report high life expectancy, and rates of heart disease are low. Their diet is typically composed of whole grains, vegetables and seasonal foods that require minimum to no processing. Rather than sugary sweets, the Mediterranean dessert is mainly fresh fruit and olive oil is the major fat. They also consume poultry, fish and dairy products moderately. Education According to a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), more educated individuals reported lower morbidity from common chronic and acute diseases such as asthma attacks, emphysema, hypertension and stroke (Cutler & Lleras-Muney 2013). Their mental and physical functioning are better than the less educated, and they report less incidences of depression, anxiety and general poor health. The same report established that the less educated have more functional limitations and reported spending more days away from work or in bed occasioned by disease. Although the research acknowledged that these associations may as well be attributed to multiple reasons, the influences of the behavioral differences across education groups were overwhelming. Education levels greatly impacted on decisions to expose oneself to risk factors such as heavy drinking, smoking and using illegal drugs. Individuals with more schooling years were less likely to indulge in the risky behavior or become obese. To emphasise the association between education and health behaviors, the researchers also established that the better educated had more frequently tried illegal drugs in their lives, but had more readily given up, unlike the less educated who carried on with the habits. Educated individuals with knowledge of healthy eating habits are likely to choose healthy diets. However, the choice is largely dependent on an individual’s ability to make use of their knowledge. Educating the population on health requires consistent and accurate messages. The messages should increase awareness and educate people on how they can increase vegetable and fruit consumption affordably without incurring more expenses. Beneficial food choices may be influenced by educating people on ways that do not demand more spending in terms of effort or money (Fiske & Taylor 1991). Lacking knowledge or losing cooking skills also hinders the buying and preparation of meals from their basic ingredients. This also leads to poor diet planning and hence undesirable health results. Psychological Factors Psychological factors impact on health either directly by producing changes in people’s hormones and heart rate or indirectly by altering behavior that has an effect on their health, like socializing, sleeping and eating (Michie & Abraham 2004). Further, the mind is able to interact with the effects of medication and make negative symptoms that accompany some medical conditions worse, or reduce some medicines’ effectiveness. Though most psychological factors are correlated and often overlap, they may also be discussed as distinctive entities. Memory Depending on the amount of food an individual consumes, hunger is an instinct that is relatively straightforward. Apart from biological requirements, food intake and appetite are influenced by other factors like the memory of food placed before an individual. For example, memories of eating in the presence of distractions like the television are soon erased, and people will end up consuming more food. The way in which basic visual cues are perceived, such as lighting and plate size, affect consumption and the size of the portion. A study was conducted in the U.K. to confirm that human short term memory plays a role in appetite, hence the amount of food consumed and ultimately health status (Cutler & Lleras-Muney 2013). A time based disproportion suggested that the memory of a previous meal can have more influence on appetite than a meal’s actual size. A number of adults were shown bowls, some containing 500ml and some 300ml of soup and requested to eat it. However, unknown to them, there were hidden pumps that refilled some bowls and drained others, so the actual soup consumed was either more or less than what had been shown to them. Immediately after eating, their hunger levels corresponded to the actual amount ingested. But several hours later, they reported hunger levels depending on the amount of soup they remembered seeing in their bowls. Regardless of the amount actually consumed, individuals who believed they had taken 300ml reported being more hungry than those who believed they had taken 500ml. Therefore, individuals who only remember having a large serving of a meal may end up eating less, depriving their bodies of a healthily balanced diet routine, while the opposite is true for those who remember taking small servings, who end up overfeeding themselves. To have control on their diet, individuals are encouraged to be mindful and actively remember what they eat. They ought to take a few moments to closely look at what they are eating and think about it in terms of filling, large or small, which will help them encode the meal thoughtfully into memory, reducing chances of forgetting. Attitude Attitude is a compound aspect of the psychological factors of health, with its positivity or negativity leading to several other chains of reaction (Gross 2007). A positive attitude and optimism towards others, the environment, and life and towards oneself goes a long way in improving their body’s functionality. Without exception, people get themselves in positions where they have to choose to either react positively or negatively. Reacting negatively affects health adversely, whereas the benefits of positive reactions include the cyclic reactions of it being an effective stress management tool while deterring anxiety, depression and insomnia, generally improving well-being. Having a positive attitude is beneficial because it gives more resistance against the common cold; enhances physical and psychological well-being; increases life expectancy; and reduces the risks of death caused by cardiovascular disease. When negative attitude is not checked and eventually leads to stress, it induces cognitive, emotional and physical responses. Specifically, it decreases memory, increases loss of concentration and distorts a person’s world view. Such people will not have interest in observing their dietary intake even if prescribed by professionals. Inevitably, the immune system’s efficiency is reduced. With a reduced count of white blood cells, susceptibility to disease is increased. Studies have also indicated that when stress hormones are repeatedly released, they produce hyperactivity in the adrenal system, disrupting normal levels of serotonin, which is responsible for well-being feelings (Ajzen & Fishbein 1980). Depression is a widespread risk factor for heart conditions and often complicates recovery from an attack by interfering with the way the circulatory system and the heart function. Depression can significantly speed up disease processes while wearing down the heart. Stress, depression and anxiety arising from negative attitude interact to cause insomnia, which severely impairs the healing process of the body. The cellular immune system and adequate sleep are interrelated. Conclusion In conclusion, social factors significantly impact health. It is necessary for communities to identify cultural values that work towards promoting good health while preserving a healthy environment (Giddens 2010). The two aspects discussed under social factors (culture and education), can work hand in hand to promote healthy living. For example, the positive values identified by cultural communities in regards to healthy habits should be taught in homes and schools, and social and religious gatherings. On the other hand, psychological factors significantly influence on an individual’s health, as well as the recovery process when they fall ill. People should cultivate a healthy mental state that develops a positive outlook to life and avoid situations that increase stress and depression levels. This can best be achieved by an understanding that stress is caused mainly by the way they react to situations. Finally, people should keep away from optimistic bias and assumptions. Many believe that they need not make changes in their diet because of their perception that they are healthy. For example, people may believe that they are exposed to less risk of health in comparison to others by overestimating their vegetable and fruit consumption, hence falsely failing to adopt further healthy feeding practices. References Ajzen, I & Fishbein, M 1980, Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Conner, M & Norman, P 2005, Predicting health behaviour: research and practice with social cognition models, Open University Press, Maidenhead. Cutler, D & Lleras-Muney, D 2013, Education and health: evaluating theories and evidence, NBER, Cambridge. Fiske, S & Taylor, S 1991, Social cognition, McGraw-Hill, New York. Giddens, A 2010, Sociology, Routledge, New York. Gross, R 2007, Psychology for nurses and other allied health professionals, McGraw, New York. Haralombos, M & Holborn, M 2008, Sociology; themes and perspectives, HarperCollins, New York. Michie, S & Abraham, C 2004, Health psychology in practice, BPS Blackwells, London. Rubin, S 2004, The maker's diet, Penguin, New York. Shepherd, R 1999, Social determinants of food choice. The Nutrition Society, Washington. Read More