9 3 08 Unit 2 Inside Story About Nutrition and Health Key Concepts and Facts Health and longevity are affected by diet lifestyle environment and genetics Modern westerners choice of diet is related to their health problems Health status of populations are related to diet National study periodically evaluate America s diet Conditions that Contribute to Death Among U S Adults under 75 Health Care 10 Environmental Exposures 20 Lifestyles 51 Genetic Makeup 19 Key Facts 60 years ago children were going to hospitals with vitamin D deficiency with Rickets and Nicene deficiency as well Western Diets Promote Chronic Diseases Diets high in salt animal fat refined sugars and grains Diets low in fruits vegetables and fiber The leading cause of death in the USA is heart disease After heart disease the following are leading Cancer Strokes Accidents Diabetes Liver Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease Pneumonia and Influenza HIV Suicide Being fat can lead to diabetes hypertension and cancers 2 in 3 adults are overweight 1 in 5 children are overweight Reference to Table 2 1 in textbook 9 5 08 Diet and Eating Right Eating a diet less that 1200 calories per day will lower your metabolism When you omit breakfast from your daily diet you tend to overcompensate and eat more throughout the day Feast and Famine Then Some common food ingredients and alcohol were not available years ago People ate what was around them They would overeat when food was available to protect them during famine Back then people burned almost 300 calories a day however people over ate Feast and Famine Now We get hungry even in the presence of excess body fat We conserve sodium and calcium We prefer fatty and sweet tasting foods over healthier Now like then Our digestive system works best on a diet Low in fat and sodium Moderation of protein High fiber starch vegetables and fruits Diets should be low in processed foods Life Expectancy In Japan life expectancy is high because more fresh foods are eaten such as fish grain rice and soups broth based The average life expectancy in Japan is 81 5 years The USA it is not as high as Japan because we don t eat as many fresh foods we eat more processed The average life expectancy in the USA is 77 1 years Chronic disease is found highly in many immigrants When comparing the US and Japan the following facts were found Intake Increase Calories Fat Carbohydrates Chances of Getting Diabetes Increase Japan 16 7 61 1 5 3 USA 32 9 48 8 20 9 8 08 Reference to table 2 3 Healthy People Solo Objectives Reference to table 2 4 National Diet and Health Studies in America Unit 3 How Can We Know the Truth Truths half truths and Gossip are common in books newspapers magazines TV radio pamphlets WWW and speeches The U S Constitution protects the right to free speech It is unlawful to state false claims on a product label or in a n advertisement It is unlawful to use the U S or Canadian mail systems to send fraudulent products or receive payments for fraudulent product The Primary Reason for Nutrition Misinformation is Profit As long as people think there is a quick and easy way to lose weight build muscle slow ageing and reduce stress there will be a huge market for nutritional products and services The world marked for vitamins alone is over 2 65 billion About one third of researchers have a financial stake in their research in terms of Holding a patent Being paid to consult or do the research etc Rewards for researchers prompt false or altered results Researchers who produce favorable results get better promotions renewed contracts etc Results are sometimes reported favorably and bad results are often omitted People often believe what they want to read and hear Scientific jargon helps market the products People want and try out quick fixes for problems with no existing cure Checklist for Misinformation Is something being sold Is the product a remedy for something not easily or simply solved Are exaggerated terms e g miraculous magical secret detoxify etc used Are testimonials endorsements or before and after photos being used Does it sound too good to be true Is a money back guarantee being offered Margarine Use tub or liquid margarine not the solid stick Nutrition Studies Confuse the Public Over 8 000 scientific nutrition related research articles are published per year Newspapers magazines and tabloids take that information and report on it to make money Oversimplification exaggeration and contradiction often occur The Second Motivation for Nutrition Misinformation Personal Beliefs and Convictions Over one third of ailments are self limiting The power of the mind Strong belief in certain herbs and alternative medicines promotes their use and results How Nutrition Truths Are Identified Chemical cell tissue animal and human studies Must be controlled Must be published in peer reviewed scientific journals Other independent studies should confirm the results Will not be found in basic magazines and articles Sources of Reliable Nutrition Information Reference to Table 3 1 Voluntary health organizations Scientific organizations Professional organizations Government publications Registered licensed or certified dietitians Nutrition Textbooks not diet best sellers The Nutrition Hotline 1 800 366 1655 Website links available at the end of Unit 3 The Methods of Science A long section of Unit 3 is dedicated to the Scientific Method in Research Most universities have review boards governing what can and can t be done to humans and animals Reference to Chart on Research Design Facts and evidence provided by scientific studies are used to develop nutrition info and guidelines that affects the public s health 9 10 08 By the time a journal article is published the project was Planned Funded Approved by a review board Analyzed for results Written up and presented in at least one conference Peer reviewed as a manuscript Reference to Table 3 1 3 3 3 4 Meta Analysis Data from multiple analyses in different studies Peer Review Evaluation of scientific merit of research or scientific reports by experts in a certain particular area of studies Placebo An imitation of a certain treatment for a scientific study sugar pill Statistically Significant Represents a true actual study Importance of Research To seek the truth Studies Without research we would be teaching students using very old dusty textbooks When developing a study you need to poss a clear question You want to state the hypothesis Design the research What information
View Full Document