Question

Discuss why nutrition is a central component in health promotion. What are some of the nutritional challenges for emerging populations? What roles do nutritional deficiency and nutritional excess play in disease?

Answer 1

In the current times, there have been changes in the eating habits of individuals around the world. One is literally what he or she eats. This means that a person's nutrition defines his or her health. An upsurge in fast foods has contributed to a decline in the amount of fibre in the diet. As a result, potentially carcinogenic compounds have more contact with the gastrointestinal tract. This predisposes to colorectal cancer. Highly processed foods are also associated with excessive weight gain. Obesity is one common condition that has been associated with a myriad of health complications. Some of them include hypertension, cancer, diabetes and metabolic disease.

Importance of nutrition in health promotion

Nutrition plays a major role in our life as it not only supports the body but also nourishes the body and enhances the proper functioning of the cell and body. Nutrition’s include protein, vitamins etc. Deficiency of these nutrients may cause severe illness and diseases. Proteins in children are responsible for growth and development whereas vitamins provide immunity.

Economical factors, availability, unawareness etc are the major cause of the nutritional challenges. Other than this many other factors such as climate change, droughts, and floods which causes damage to the agricultural land and crop production.

The lack of nutrients such as in children causes abnormal development whereas in adult causes improper functioning of the body. The deficiency of many vitamins such as Vitamin D causes weak bone, weak immunity etc. The excess of nutrition causes weight gain which turns into obesity and hence makes a person more prone to other diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease etc.

Explanation:

Nutritional challenges

One major challenge is the increase in fast foods establishments. Over time, highly processed foods have become more accessible especially in areas with low economic progress. This problem is compounded by their low cost.

Organic foods are no longer easily accessible. The large proportion of foods in supermarkets have undergone some degree of processing. Individuals have to pay more for healthy foods which makes them opt for the less nutritious options.

Drought and famine have been brought about by climate change. This has affected food security in some parts of the world. As a result, high rates of malnutrition have been reported in these areas.

Roles of nutritional deficiency and excess in disease

A lack of good nutrition may trigger deficiency diseases. An example is rickets which is caused by a lack of enough vitamin D. Apart from specific conditions resulting from inadequate nutrient requirements; malnutrition also lowers the body's immunity.

Nutritional deficiency may therefore lead to immunosuppression thus predisposing the body to various infectious agents.

An excess of nutrition may be detrimental to health. It predisposes to excessive weight gain. Excess nutrients may also lead to toxicity which brings about unpleasant side effects.

Nutrition should therefore be in the correct range to avoid any health complications.