Definitions

Food is that which nourishes the body. Food may also be defined as anything eaten or drunk,
which meets the needs for energy, building, regulation and protection of the body. In short, food
is the raw material from which our bodies are made. Intake of the right kinds and amounts of
food can ensure good nutrition and health, which may be evident in our appearance, efficiency
and emotional well-being.

Nutrition has been defined as food at work in the body. Nutrition includes everything that
happens to food from the time it is eaten until it is used for various functions in the body.
Nutrients are components of food that are needed by the body in adequate amounts in order to
grow, reproduce and lead a normal, healthy life. Nutrients include water, proteins, fats,
carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. There are several nutrients in each of the groups: proteins,
fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins; hence the plural form of these words has been used.
Thus there are over 40 essential nutrients supplied by food, which are used to produce literally
thousands of substances necessary for life and physical fitness. The study of the science of
nutrition deals with what nutrients we need, how much we need, why we need these and where
we can get them. Nutrition is the result of the kinds of foods supplied to the body and how the
body uses the food supplied.

Adequate, optimum and good nutrition are expressions used to indicate that the supply of the
essential nutrients is correct in amount and proportion. It also implies that the utilisation of such
nutrients in the body is such that the highest level of physical and mental health is maintained
throughout the life-cycle.

Nutritional status is the state of our body as a result of the foods consumed and their use by the
body. Nutritional status can be good, fair or poor.

The characteristics of good nutritional status are an alert, good natured personality, a well
developed body, with normal weight for height, well developed and firm muscles, healthy skin,
reddish pink colour of eyelids and membranes of mouth, good layer of subcutaneous fat, clear
eyes, smooth and glossy hair, good appetite and excellent general health. General good health is
evident by stamina for work, regular meal times, sound regular sleep, normal elimination and
resistance to disease.

Poor nutritional status is evidenced by a listless, apathetic or irritable personality, undersized

poorly developed body, abnormal body weight (too thin or fat and flabby body), muscles small
and flabby, pale or sallow skin, too little or too much subcutaneous fat, dull or reddened eyes,
lustreless and rough hair, poor appetite, lack of vigour and endurance for work and susceptibility
to infections. Poor nutritional status may be the result of poor food selection, irregularity in
schedule of meals, work, sleep and elimination. The WHO (World Health Organization) has
defined health as the ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity’. Malnutrition means an undesirable kind of nutrition leading to
ill-health. It results from a lack, excess or imbalance of nutrients in the diet. It includes
undernutrition and overnutrition. Undernutrition is a state of an insufficient supply of essential
nutrients. Malnutrition can be primarily be 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 in treatment. Overnutrition refers to an excessive
intake of one or more nutrients, which creates a stress in the bodily function.

Diet refers to whatever you eat and drink each day. Thus it includes the normal diet you consume
and the diet people consume in groups (hostel diet). Diet may also be modified and used for ill
persons as part of their therapy (therapeutic diets).

Nutritional care is the use of nutritional knowledge in planning meals and the preparation of
these meals in an acceptable and attractive manner to feed people. It involves assessment of the
exiting meal patterns and improving these in an acceptable manner. While the nutritional plan
may be general for a group of people, the actual execution is individualized to suit the person’s
needs and background. Thus one has to use a lot of ingenuity to succeed in making nutritional
care effective in practical terms.

Health the word health refers to the condition of the body, good health not only implies freedom
from disease, but physical, mental and emotional fitness as well.

Functions of Food

Physiological functions of food: The first function of the body is to provide energy. The body
needs energy to sustain the involuntary processes essential for continuance of life, to carry out
professional, household and recreational activities, to convert food ingested into usable nutrients
in the body, to grow and to keep warm. The energy needed is supplied by the oxidation of the
foods consumed.

The foods we eat become a part of us. Thus one of the most important functions of food is
building the body. A newborn baby weighing 2.7-3.2 kg can grow to its potential adult size of
50–60 kg if the right kinds and amounts of food are eaten from birth to adulthood. The food
eaten each day helps to maintain the structure of the adult body, and to replace worn out cells of
the body.

The third function of food is to regulate activities of the body. It includes regulation of such
varied activities as:

1. Beating of the heart

2. Maintenance of the body temperature
3. Muscle contraction
4. Control of water balance
5. Clotting of blood
 6. Removal of waste products from the body

The fourth function of food is to improve our body’s resistance to disease.

The Social Functions of Food: Food has always been a central part of our social existence. It
has been a part of our community, social, cultural and religious life. Special foods are distributed
as a benediction or prasad in the religious functions in homes, temples and churches. Feasts are
given at specific stages of life such as birth, naming ceremony, birthdays, marriages, etc. Most of
the religious festivals also call for feasts and feeding of specific segments of the population.
Certain menus are associated with most of these feasts in each region.

Food has been used as an expression of love, friendship and social acceptance. It is also used as a
symbol of happiness at certain events in life, for example, pedhas are distributed to announce
success in examinations, or the birth of a baby; laddus are associated with the celebration of
Deepavali and marriages, cakes are associated with Christmas and birthdays and tilgul with
sankranti the festival of friendship.

As food is an integral part of our social existence, this function is important in daily life.
Refreshments served at get-togethers or meetings create a relaxed atmosphere. The menu for
such get-together should bring the people together, rather than divide them. This basic aspect
should be considered in planning menus for such occasions.

The Psychological Functions of Food: In addition to satisfying physical and social needs, food
must satisfy certain emotional needs. These includes a sense of security, love and attention. Thus
familiar foods make us feel secure. Anticipating needs and fulfilling these are expressions of
love and attention. These sentiments are the basis of the normal attachment to the mother’s
cooking. Sharing of food is a token of friendship and acceptance. In a friendly gathering we try
unfamiliar foods and thus enlarge our food experiences. It must be noted that even a nutritionally
balanced meal may not be satisfying to the individual, if the foods included are unfamiliar or
distasteful to him/her. With time and repeated experience, strange foods become familiar and
new tastes are formed. These aspects are important in food acceptance and must be considered in
planning meals, which are not only nutritionally adequate, but also enjoyable for the group for
whom they are intended.

Functions of Nutrients: The foods which we use daily include rice, wheat, dal, vegetables,
fruits, milk, eggs, fish, meat, sugar, butter, oils, etc. These different foods are made up of a
number of chemical components called nutrients. These are classified according to their
chemical composition. Each nutrient class has its own function, but the various nutrients must act
in unison for effective action. The nutrients found in foods are — carbohydrates, proteins, fats,
minerals, vitamins and water. Fibre is also an essential component of our diet. The functions of
nutrients are given below.
 Carbohydrates: Starch found in cereals and sugar in sugarcane and fruits are examples of
carbohydrates in foods. The chief function of carbohydrates is to provide energy needed by our
body. Those not used immediately for this purpose are stored as glycogen or converted to fat and
stored, to be mobilised for energy supply when needed.

Fats: Oils found in seeds, butter from milk, and lard from meat, are examples of fats found in
foods. Fats are concentrated sources of energy, carriers of fat soluble vitamins and a source of
essential fatty acids. If excess fats are taken in the diet, these are stored as fat reserves in the
body. Energy taken in excess of body needs, is stored as fat in the body.

Proteins: Casein from milk, albumin in egg, globulins in legumes and gluten in wheat, are
examples of proteins occurring in foods. The main function of protein is the building of new
tissues and maintaining and repair of those already built. Synthesis of regulatory and protective
substances such as enzymes, hormones and antibodies is also a function of food proteins. About
10 per cent of the total energy is supplied by proteins in the diet. Protein, when taken in excess of
the body’s need, is converted to carbohydrates and fats and is stored in the body.

Minerals: The minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, sodium, potassium and others are
found in various foods in combination with organic and inorganic compounds. Minerals are
necessary for body-building, for building of bones, teeth and structural parts of soft tissues. They
also play a role in regulation of processes in the body, e.g., muscle contraction, clotting of blood,
nerve stimuli, etc.

Vitamins: Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and also water-soluble vitamins C and B group
are found in foods. These are needed for growth, normal function of the body and normal body
processes.

Water: We get water in foods we eat and a major part from the water we drink as such and as
beverages. Water is an essential part of our body structure and it accounts for about 60 per cent
of our body weight. Water is essential for the utilisation of food material in the body and also for
elimination of food waste. It is a regulator of body processes such as maintenance of body
temperature.

NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT: A nutritional assessment is a systematic evaluation of a

patient's nutritional status that helps diagnose malnutrition and identify underlying health
issues. It can also help predict health effects and evaluate the nutritional quality of food supplies,
food habits, and diets.
A nutritional assessment can include:

 Clinical history: A patient's diagnosis, birth history, medical and surgical history, medications,
and treatments

 Physical examination: A nutritionally focused physical exam

 Anthropometric measurements: Height, weight, and body composition measurements, such as
circumference of the arm, abdomen, and thigh, and skinfold thickness

 Diet history: A detailed review of the patient's diet

 Laboratory testing: Biochemical assessment of serum proteins and micronutrients