Nutritional Issues

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Nutritional Issue Objectives

Provide examples of nutrient deficiencies and explain how a person can be “hypernourished” and “malnourished” at the same time.
Describe lactose intolerance, including what it is, why many people have it, the effects, and why some people can tolerate dairy into adulthood.
List some of the concerns related to eating foods fried in oil.

We are starting with two contrasting concerns: malnutrition and hypernutrition. These are complicated; either of these could relate to food access, what an individual consumes, digestive processes, and/or absorption efficiency. Governments and researchers search for the most straight-forward and cost-effective ways to manage this aspect of public health, such as making iron more accessible in frequently consumed food items.

Identifying specific nutrients that are lacking in an individual’s diet makes it easier to supplement those nutrients, possibly through fortified foods.

Genetically engineered “golden rice” contains genetic material from daffodils and bacteria, creating rice that contains beta carotene. Beta carotene is the precursor to vitamin A, and vitamin A deficiency impacts close to 200 million people worldwide.

Iron deficiency is the most common form of malnutrition. It can occur due to dietary insufficiency, difficulty in absorption, excessive blood loss, and illness.

Which cells need iron to effectively carry oxygen? ________ Which protein in these cells utilizes iron as a binding site? _________

Hypernutrition, or excessive nutrients, can lead to health issues. Excessive calories from consumed fats, sugars, or proteins can be converted to fat and stored in cells, including the adipocytes. As we will explore in the upcoming Endocrine System guide, adipocytes release hormones and other chemicals that can cause changes in many organs. In some people, this correlates with higher disease incidence.

Where the fat is stored may impact health. Subcutaneous fatty tissue and visceral fatty tissue serve important roles (temperature regulation & energy storage). Increased amounts have different correlations with disease. Generally the visceral fat is more problematic, possibly due to proximity with other organs.

Dairy

A majority of humans are lactose intolerant as adults. Find out why, and how this has occurred.

Fried Foods

Most people know we are supposed to limit foods fried in oil, this video provides more detail.

A look at lipid content of foods people often eat as appetizers before a meal. A reminder that fat is an essential component of the human diet, concerns arise with excessive amounts and particular forms of fat.

Engaging teaching is educational and entertaining. Most of us end up teaching at some point, whether it’s family, friends, or professionally. For this guide’s media piece, you are developing an educational game about the digestive system and/or nutrition.

This video provides examples. There are additional examples on this guide’s resource page.

Resources

Start Your 4B Media Assignment here

You are creating a game to teach about the digestive system and/or nutrition. Basically any concept introduced in this module (Guides 4A & 4B) can be included. You can be specific, like teaching about one digestive disorder, or more general, like teaching about multiple food groups. The game needs to engage the potential learner by being both educational and entertaining.

Include:

The title of your game.
The approximate age level you intend the game for (children, adults, all).
Your game, with basic directions, if needed. The media can be a photo, text, video, web link, etc.
Clear and correct concepts about the digestive system and/or nutrition.

Teaching someone else is one of the best ways to learn about a topic. Select something that interests you, and have fun with the learning process. This could be an excellent piece to include in the final portfolio.

The next section provides an overview of upper G.I.T. disorders.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

provide examples of nutrient deficiencies and explain how a person can be “hypernourished” and “malnourished” at the same time?
describe lactose intolerance, including what it is, why many people have it, the effects, and why some people can tolerate dairy into adulthood?
list some of the concerns related to eating foods fried in oil?