Nutrition and Disease

Nutrition plays a big part in diseases.  If an individual does not eat a healthy balance diet and is inactive it can cause chronic disease that can become a part of the person's life.  One chronic condition that is caused by nutrition is obesity and this map from the CDC shows the percentage of Obese Adults in the U.S by state. 





Percent of Obese (BMI >30) in U.S. Adults

Obesity leads to other chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes.  "The major problem with diabetes is the fact that uncontrolled blood sugar levels can over time, lead to the glycation of protiens in the body (essentially the proteins get gummed up with sugar and fail to function properly), to organ damage, and eventually to organ failure. It's is for his reason that the risk death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without diabetes of similar age" (Berardi & Andrews, 2009 p.246). 

Obesity is caused not only by inactivity but a diet high in calories and junk food. 

 

 

Cardiovascular disease goes hand in hand with obesity.  When an individual eats high fat foods or fried foods, their arteries pay the price.  These foods are full of trans fats and saturated fats.  "Saturated fatty acids also contribute to blood clotting associated with heart attacks..."  (Sizer & Whitney, 2013 p. 168).

Nutrition can be in abundance and result in chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease but nutrition can also be in absence or scarce and cause individuals to suffer from malnutrition.  This condition can be a caused from the individual suffering from poverty and not able to feed themselves or their children or it can be associated with individuals suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia. Diseases such as cancer can cause one to not be able to eat and result in malnutrition.  "A destructive cycle often beings when impaired immunity opens the way for disease; when disease impairs appetite, interferes with digestion and absorption, increases exertion or alters  metabolism, then nutrition status suffers further" (Sizer & Whitney, 2013 p.424).  This is the case when individuals suffer from cancer. 

Those that suffer from the mental disorder of anorexia restrict their diets to almost nothing and since they are not eating, they are not receiving the proper nutrients that their body needs for daily function of organs.  When the nutrients are not received, after a while the organs began to fail and death is the outcome.  

Either with eating too much or eating too little, individuals need to be aware of  issues associated with both.  A healthy diet makes sure that we receive the right amount of nutrition that our bodies need to be healthy and free of illnesses.  

 



References

 

Adult Obesity Facts. (2014, March 28). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved June 15, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

 

 

Berardi, J., & Andrews, R. (2009). Special Needs. Nutition: The Complee Guide (). Carpinteria: Internationa SportSciences Associaion.

 

 

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning