Importance Of Healthy Diet In Nigeria

Despite the vast research on nutrition and health, malnutrition is still a major fatality in this present day. Policymakers, social scientist and medical experts have expressed alarm about the growing problem. While most agree that the issue deserves attention, consensus dissolves around how to respond and resolve the problem. Malnourishment continues to be a primary health liability in developing nations such as Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. It is globally the most significant risk factor for illness and death, predominantly with hundreds of millions of pregnant women

Learning about our diet is very important, and a diet analysis is a good way to find out how our diet is helping or affecting our organism. For instant, when we analyze our diet we find out if the nutrients in our diet met the target amount our body needs to function adequately.

As populations become more urban and incomes rise, diets high in sugar, fat and animal products replace more traditional diets that were high in complex carbohydrates and fibre. Ethnic cuisine and unique traditional food habits are being replaced by westernized fast foods, soft drinks and increased meat consumption (Drewnowski, 2000). Homogenization and westernization of the global diet has increased the energy density and this is particularly a problem for the poor in all

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid is based on a recommended number of servings from six food groups. Food groups were the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group (6-11 servings), vegetable group (3-5 servings), fruit group (2-4 servings), milk, yogurt, and cheese group (2-3 servings), meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group (2-3 servings), and fats, oils, and sweets (use sparingly) (2001). Inexpensive fat-filled, low-nutrient-density foods predominate in African American communities (Rajaram 1998). Proper education would have informed the proper foods, servings, and amount of servings to ensure proper eating habits that abstractly monitors weight control. According to statistics, 27.4% of African American women who had less than high school education was obese as opposed to only 15.7% of African American women with college or above was obese (U.S. Surgeon General, 2001).

The purpose of this literature review was to examine the dietary behaviors of low-income African Americans from a socio-ecological perspective. Based on 12 descriptive studies, dietary behaviors were the result of personal and environmental factors. Low-income African Americans were eating more fast foods because of the culture, social traditions, role expectations impact eating practices and pattern within peer groups, friends and family. (Robinson, 2008) Another research conducted by Amy and her friends tried to test a dietary intervention for high risk African Americans. They used telephone data and logistic regressions to identify the association of low-fat eating behaviors with personal and environmental behaviors. They found that education and low income were associated with high-fat eating behaviors in African American. (Eyler et al., 2004). Similarly, the study conducted by Weinrich and her friends on body mass index and intake of selected foods in African American men tested the relationship between selected dietary consumption and BMI. The sample was a community-based cohort of 204 African American Southern men who attended a prostate screening program. They found out 47% of them was obese and the majority of them ate chicken and fried fish. Few men ate vegetables. They concluded that, African American men need

The most notable problem that has intensified the problem of diabetes and obesity among African Americans is diet. The trajectory of African American lifestyle is characterized by misfortunes rendering their dietary situation vulnerable (Borrell&Samuel, 2014). From the historical factors that led to their presence in the foreign country, the Africans were subjected to a diet that was not friendly to their health. Used as machines by their masters, Africans found their eating habits in a cultural framework that emphasized on proteins to make them energetic and able to work. Therefore, the unprecedented subjection to unbalanced diet started from the moment they set foot on the new land. According to Heuman, Scholl, & Wilkinson (2013), unavailability of healthy food and the destitute amount of resources to secure healthy eating has been inimical to healthy living among African Americans. Indeed, owing to the poor economic background, most Africans rely on fast food outlets and takeaways that comprise unhealthy and chemical-induced meals concentrated with calories and fats.

The essay “The American Paradox” by Michael Pollan focuses on the eating habits of people in the United States. He especially emphasizes how American think when it comes to eating healthy food. Pollan talks about the American Paradox, an unhealthy obsession with eating right thing. The author relates the idea of cultural food and healthy food to claim his main point of the argument. He believes that culture is one factor which answers three primary questions of what to eat, the amount to eat, and the time and place to eat.

The food we consume every day has a significant impact on our health. Changes in your diet can help prevent or control many health problems such as obesity, diabetes and certain risk factors for cancer and heart disease (Nutrition Dietetics 2016). It is crucial for a Nutritionist to understand the health concerns of their clients, as well as their possible food intolerances and even their diets based on religious practice. A Nutritionist should

The authors of this journal ensure a well-established necessity for this research study. The main idea was to use photovoice to explore Nigerian immigrants’ in the United States through their eating and physical activity as they affect or determine health standard and wellness. In order to do this the researchers deeply and critically evaluate previous research on African immigrants eating habits and physical activities. The researcher made a precise evaluation that integrate some previous research to their proposed research.

Healthy eating habits: Now a day’s big NGO’s, medical organisations and Government tends Indian population to eat healthy rather than

1494 women ages 20-94 between the years of 1994 to 1997 were randomly selected to be in an epidemiological study (3). This study examined how mental health (dependent variable) was affected by having a Western Diet (independent variable). The subjects were evaluated by dietary and psychiatric assessment. The covariates of the study were socioeconomic standing, drinking, smoking, Body Mass Index and physical activity levels. The subjects were asked to return in 10 years for a follow up appointment. 881 of the original participants returned for the appointment from 2004 to 2008. Participant’s diets were assessed through questionnaires. Psychiatric assessments were given with a 12 item version of the general health questionnaire. Regressions were ran with the data and the results showed that foods such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and whole grains were associated associated with lower odds for major depression and anxiety. The Western Diet which consisted of mainly fried foods, sugar, and grains had a negative effect psychologically. It was also found that the worse the diet is (more fried food and refined grains) the worse psychologically it is for the body. Researchers concluded that there was a significant association between having a Western Diet and a deterioration in mental health.

Discuss the historical perspectives and belief systems of these cultures that influence the high-risk nutritional behaviors.

Carbohydrate is a nutrient essential for energy production and the prevention of ketosis, a state where the production of ketones exceeds metabolism. Protein is a nutrient essential for its components, amino acids. Fat is a nutrient which provides insulation, protection and energy for the body.

The rate of obesity is increasing globally and is a serious public health issue. It no longer only affects developed countries but is also having implications on developing countries. Often the focus is placed on individual choices and behaviours, this does not take into account the research and evidence that clearly shows that obesity is a multifaceted issue. To improve the level of obesity the broader determinants needs consideration. This essay will identify the key determinants of obesity and discuss the social, environmental, individual and cultural determinants of obesity. Ultimately, it must be realised that obesity is not predominantly an individual problem.

Western diets and lifestyle have become more and more popular in many countries all over the world, because western countries are more developed and people think western diets and lifestyle are healthy to people. It is a common knowledge that health includes three aspects: physical health, mental health, and social well-being health, not just without any disease. Western diets refer to the food as red meat, sugary desserts and drinks, high-fat foods and refined grains, etc. Western lifestyle is the lifestyle of low levels of exercise, more consumption of fast food, sedentary lifestyle, more online communication than face-to-face contact, smoking, drinking, etc. This essay