Nutrition Food Behavior

Nutrition Food Behavior

Nutrition Food Behavior

Introudction

Securing adequate food supplies and necessary nutrition is a global concern. The production, distribution, and consumption of food are matters that concern governments, corporations, and individuals everywhere. The enormous growth in the population of the world, from about 3 billion people to over 6 billion between the end of World War II and the end of the century has captured the attention of many scientists. The projection that by 2050 there may be twelve billion people in the world raises the need for nutrition to high levels of concern. To feed adequately the billions of people currently living and soon to be born means that whole resources are needed to supply the food people need.

Today, there are many issues dealing with food facing the world. In vast areas of the world, large numbers of people are malnourished. This is especially the case in the southern hemisphere. However, in contrast, in an increasing number of countries, mainly in the northern hemisphere, the larger issue is obesity.

The problem of malnourishment is not a problem of an inadequate supply of food on a global basis, it is a distribution problem. The poor, especially in the third world, could have food directly supplied to them by wealthier nations. However, this would destroy the local markets and local farmers. More commonly the misdistribution of food is due to exploitation of the population by local elites, unscrupulous merchants, or by local warlords.

Malnourishment occurs due to other factors as well, including poverty. Population growth has outstripped food supplies from traditional resources, and inefficient agricultural practices, political turmoil, and poor distribution of the world's food supply contribute to malnourishment as well. In addition, environmental and weather conditions can affect food supply.

Malnourishment adds to the fragility of the health of people. Without an adequate diet, they become vulnerable to diseases. Some of these are preventable nutrition deficiency diseases. In contrast, people who are overweight or obese, as are millions in the United States, are prone to diet related diseases. These include heart attacks caused by clogged arteries that developed blockages from fatty diets. Cancer, diabetes, and many other illnesses are also thought to be caused by a poor diet.

Nutrition comes from the Latin word (nutr) which means to nurture or to nourish. Nourishment is what sustains life. In the heathcare field, heath professionals having the central responsibility for applying nutritional science to individuals and to groups of people are those who practice dietetics.

The nutritional care of patients, clients, and others is the responsibility of the registered dietitian (RD). In a clinical setting it is the clinical nutritional specialist. In the area of public health it is the public health nutritionist who is responsible for high-risk individuals and others. This responsibility includes the job of assessing the nutritional needs and community programs designed and implemented to meet those needs.

Food is eaten to supply energy and nutrients for building and maintaining the body. It is not the case that any particular foods such as milk ...