Discuss why nutrition is a central component in health promotion.
Nutrition is an essential element of the physical, mental and psychological wellbeing of a person. Hence, the absence of an illness does not mean that the individual is healthy (Manimegalai & Ramesh, 2019). Nutrition aids in disease prevention. Therefore it improves health as well as the quality of life of an individual. Where the diet is not appropriate, then there is the risk of attack by diseases associated with malnutrition such as kwashiorkor (Manimegalai & Ramesh, 2019.
Additionally, chronic illnesses, such as cancer are also associated with poor nutrition. Appropriate feeding enhances primary prevention of diseases by availing needed nutrients in adequate amounts (Oz, 2017). Therefore, the body can fight infection.
What are some of the nutritional challenges for emerging populations Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The 21st century is characterized by various nutritional challenges that influence emerging populations negatively. The challenges are not at personal but also at the individual level. First, food security is a leading problem (Manimegalai & Ramesh, 2019). Although people are willing to take sufficient amounts of food, it is not always a guarantee that it will be available. Secondly, climate change affects food production, which dictates how much of it is in supply for the population (Manimegalai & Ramesh, 2019). Finally, deficiency or excess of nutrients in foods is a massive problem for emerging communities.
What roles do nutritional deficiency and excess dietary play in disease?
Nutritional deficiency is a nutritional challenge in many developing nations. Interestingly, both dietary excess and deficiency have risks for disease (Oz, 2017). For instance, a person who takes too much of refined carbohydrates or fats is prone to inflammatory conditions. The situation is worse where that person leads an inactive lifestyle (Oz, 2017). On the contrary, deficiency of essential nutrients results to slow growth due to weak immune system. Hence, the victims are likely to encounter health issues such as scurvy and exophthalmia.
References
Manimegalai, B., & Ramesh, S. (2019). Importance of proper nutrition during hospitalization. https://www.academia.edu/download/59140551/V5I2-121820190506-34140-hhmlkf.pdf
Oz, H. S. (2017). Nutrients, infectious and inflammatory diseases. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/10/1085/htm