Week-1 - 01-Relationship Between Food, Nutrition and Health 1-A PDF

Relationship between
Food, Nutrition & Health

Introduction
• Food has been a basic part of our existence. By knowing the

food composition , the nutritional content of food is known.
• Intake of food ensures growth in children and youth, maintains

good health throughout life, meets special needs of pregnancy
and lactation and for recovery from illness.
• A large part of our food heritage is scientifically beneficial
and needs to be retained, some aspects may need to be
modified in view of changes in our lifestyles
• Most of the articles are published in news papers and

magazines may be correct but most of it may not be.
• Therefore this course will give a proper information on food

and the knowledge gained can be spread to people around,
so that the false ideas about foods which interfere with food
selection are erased and health is not affected
Definitions
• Food – is one that nourishes the body.
• Food may also be defined as any substance eaten or drunk which

meets the needs for energy, body building, regulation and
protection of the body.
• Food is the material from which our bodies are made.
• Eating right kind of food in right amounts ensures good nutrition

and health.
• Nutrition - is food at work in the body. It includes everything that
happens from eating food to its usage in various functions of
body.
Nutrients are components of foods needed for body in adequate

amounts for proper growth, reproduction and leading normal life.
The science of nutrition deals with what nutrients we need, in what

quantity, how to get them and how the body utilizes them.
• Adequate, optimum and good nutrition – indicates the right
amount and proportion of nutrients for proper utilization for
achieving highest level of physical and mental health.
• Nutritional status – state of the body as a result of foods

consumed and their utilization by the body. Nutritional
status can be good, fair and poor.
• Good nutritional status – characterized by an alert, good natured
personality, a well developed body with normal weight for
height, well developed and firm muscles, healthy skin, reddish
pink colored eyelids and membranes of mouth, good layer of
subcutaneous fat, clear eyes, smooth and glossy hair, good
appetite and excellent general health which is recognized by
stamina to work, regular meal time, sound sleep, normal
elimination and resistance to disease.
• Health – as defined by WHO is the ‘state of complete
physical, mental and social well being and not mere
absence of disease or infirmity’.
• Malnutrition – undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill

health. It results from lack, excess or imbalance of nutrients
in the diet. It includes both under and over nutrition. Under
nutrition is a state of insufficient supply of essential
nutrients.
• Malnutrition can be primarily due to insufficient supply of one
or more essential nutrients or it can be secondary, which means
it results from an error in metabolism, interaction between
nutrients or nutrients and drugs used for treatment.
• Over nutrition refers to an excessive intake of one or more

nutrients which creates a stress on bodily functions.
• Diet – refers to what ever is eaten or drunk each day. It
includes normal diet that is consumed either
individually or in groups. Diets may be modified for
making it suitable for sick individuals as a part of
treatment – therapeutic diets
• Nutritional care – using knowledge of nutrition for
meal planning and preparation to make it in an
attractive and acceptable form. In this the existing
meals can be modified to improve in terms of nutrition,
and acceptability. Diet can be planned for individuals
or a group to suit their requirements like health status,
nutritional status, place of living, climate etc,.
Functions of food
Physiological Function Social Function Psychological Function

Physiological functions of food
• First function of food is to provide energy. Body needs energy to
sustain involuntary processes essential for continuing life. It is also
required for various activities like professional, household and
recreational activities, convert foods into utilizable nutrients required
for growth and warmth.
• Another important function is body building. An infant at birth

weighs 2.5-3.0 kgs and grows to 50-60 kgs during adulthood , which
is possible only if right food in right amount is given from birth to
adulthood. Food eaten also help to maintain the structure of the body
and helps in repair of worn out tissues
• Food regulates the activities of the body including – heart beat,
maintaining body temperature, muscle contraction, water
balance, blood clotting and removal of waste products from
the body.
• Food helps in improving the immune system and improves

resistance power of the body.
Social functions of food
• Food has always been the central part of our existence, social
cultural and religious life
• Special foods are distributed during religious functions in

homes, temples, churches etc.
• Feasts are given in different stages of life like birth, cradle

ceremony, birthdays, marriages etc. many feasts call for
feeding specific segment of people.
• Certain menus are associated with specific foods in each
region.
• Food has been used as expression of love friendship and

social acceptance
• Food is also used to express happiness like success in

exams, job, marriages, birth of a baby etc.
• Food for get togethers, meetings or functions should be

planned in a proper manner to bring people together.
Pshychological functions of food
• In addition to physical and social needs, food

must satisfy certain emotional needs.
• It includes a sense of security, love and

attention.
• Familiar foods usually make us feel secure.

• Sharing of food is a token of friendship and
acceptance.
• In a friendly gathering we try unfamiliar foods

and thus enlarge our food experiences.
• Anticipating needs and fulfilling these are

expressions of love and attention.
• These sentiments are the basis of the normal

attachment to mother’s cooking or home food.
• If the foods included are unfamiliar or not tasty, then
even nutritionally balanced foods may not be
satisfactory.
• With time and repeated experience unfamiliar and

strange foods become familiar and one develops taste
for those foods.
• Therefore these aspects are to be kept in mind while

planning meals which are nutritionally adequate and
also enjoyable.

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Relationship between

Food, Nutrition & Health

• Food has been a basic part of our existence. By knowing the

• Intake of food ensures growth in children and youth, maintains

• Most of the articles are published in news papers and

• Therefore this course will give a proper information on food

• Food – is one that nourishes the body.

• Food may also be defined as any substance eaten or drunk which

• Food is the material from which our bodies are made.

• Eating right kind of food in right amounts ensures good nutrition

Nutrients are components of foods needed for body in adequate

The science of nutrition deals with what nutrients we need, in what

• Nutritional status – state of the body as a result of foods

• Malnutrition – undesirable kind of nutrition leading to ill

• Over nutrition refers to an excessive intake of one or more

Physiological Function Social Function Psychological Function

• Another important function is body building. An infant at birth

• Food helps in improving the immune system and improves

• Special foods are distributed during religious functions in

• Feasts are given in different stages of life like birth, cradle

• Food has been used as expression of love friendship and

• Food is also used to express happiness like success in

• Food for get togethers, meetings or functions should be

• In addition to physical and social needs, food

• It includes a sense of security, love and

• Familiar foods usually make us feel secure.

• In a friendly gathering we try unfamiliar foods

• Anticipating needs and fulfilling these are

• These sentiments are the basis of the normal

• With time and repeated experience unfamiliar and

• Therefore these aspects are to be kept in mind while

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