Unit 3: Healthy Nutritional Choices (Cohort 1 Video)
Reading: Chapter 10: Importance of Public Health Nutrition Programs in Preventing Disease
“It appears that the increasing trend of overweight and obesity will likely overtake tobacco as the
leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States” What are the primary diseases
associated with poor diet and lifestyle?
CAD, stroke, HTNs, diabetes, arthritis r/t disabilities, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease & some
cancers
How much of the total healthcare expenditures is spent on preventative approaches to preventable
disease?
3%
Define and provide examples of prevention strategies:
Primary: encourage health-enhancing behaviors by giving individuals, families, and communities
ways to reduce risk factors associated with disease and injury. Ex: nutrition and weight
management classes in a community center for adults, environmental changes to provide
nutritious choices in a school cafeteria vending machine, and Fruits and Veggies Matter
campaigns to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets.
Primary prevention strategies seek to expand the positive potential of health
Secondary: includes risk appraisal and screening to emphasize early detection/diagnosis of
disease. Begins at the point where the pathology of a disease may occur. It encompasses
diagnostic services that include screening, surveillance, and clinical examinations.
One model for secondary prevention involving screening is a cholesterol screening program for
early detection of cardiovascular problems, such as elevated blood pressure, elevated blood
cholesterol, and high glucose levels. Strategies are aimed at self-care for people with chronic
diseases. Ex: an education and awareness program to teach a woman with a history of
gestational diabetes how to control her weight through diet and exercise
Tertiary: involves treatment and rehabilitation and is defined as the reduction in the amount of
disability caused by a disease to achieve the highest level of function. Tertiary factors include
diabetes, kidney disease, and angina. The goal is the prevention of further disability and any
secondary conditions that might result from the initial health problem. Ex: medical nutrition
therapy (MNT) for people suffering from kidney disease, nutrition education about vitamin and
mineral supplementation and feeding strategies to prevent further complications of wasting
from HIV/AIDS, and cardiac rehabilitation through diet, exercise, and stress management. The
ultimate goal is, through rehabilitation, to restore the individual to an “optimal” level of
functioning, given the constraints of the disease.
What are some factors that contribute to overweight and obesity (modifiable and non-modifiable)?
Metabolic and genetic factors, as well as behaviors affecting dietary intake and physical activity,
contribute to being overweight. Cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic influences also play a
role. Most overweight and obese individuals eat more calories from food than they expend through
physical activity.
People with low food securities (high insecurities) are associated with obesity D/T eating high caloric
food without good nutrition
What are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) key recommendations?
• A variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups—dark green, red and orange, legumes
(beans and peas), starchy, and other
• Fruits, especially whole fruits
, • Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages
• A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans
and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products & Oils
• Limit saturated fats and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium.
How much weight loss (percent of total body weight) has been shown to improve health risks
associated with overweight and obesity?
A weight loss of as little as 10% can improve health risks associated with overweight and obesity
What is the relationship between cholesterol (dyslipidemia) and cardiovascular disease and how can
this be managed through diet?
• Dyslipidemia is characterized by an abnormality in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, or both.
In many developed countries, dyslipidemia presents as hyperlipidemia and contributes to the
development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the build-up of plaques along
the inner walls of the arteries, causing inadequate blood flow and leading to serious
cardiovascular problems.
• Cardiovascular diseases include diseases of the heart and blood vessels: CHD, stroke, and
peripheral vascular diseases. CHD is the most common form of cardiovascular disease,
and
usually involves atherosclerosis and hypertension. The consequences of cardiovascular disease
are usually heart disease and stroke
• High blood cholesterol is one of the major independent risk factors for heart disease and stroke
What is the relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular disease and how can this be
managed through diet?
• High blood pressure is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease
• Dietary approaches to management of HTN include adoption of the Dietary Approaches to
Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan & reducing sodium intake
• The DASH eating plan is a diet rich in calcium and potassium, consisting of fresh fruits,
vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. It advocates a low sodium intake; intakes of 1,600
mg have been found to be as effective as single drug therapy in lowering blood pressure.
• Other specific lifestyle modifications include reducing sodium to 2,400 mg a day
What is the relationship between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and how can this be
managed through diet?
• The majority of the deaths caused by diabetes are due to diabetes-associated cardiovascular
disease. The presence of diabetes in adults is associated with a two- to fourfold increase in
CHD
compared to nondiabetic adults. Almost ¾ of adults with diabetes have hypertension
• Include foods that contain complex carbohydrates, particularly those from whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, and low-fat milk. Reduce intake of total fat, esp saturated fat
In terms of cancer prevention, what are the benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables?
Fruit and vegetable consumption may protect against cancers of the mouth and pharynx,
esophagus, lung, stomach, colon, and rectum
What are seven risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
Age: Diabetes is most common in people over 60 years of age
Ethnicity: Deaths from diabetes are twice as high for African Americans as for Caucasians; Native
Reading: Chapter 10: Importance of Public Health Nutrition Programs in Preventing Disease
“It appears that the increasing trend of overweight and obesity will likely overtake tobacco as the
leading preventable cause of mortality in the United States” What are the primary diseases
associated with poor diet and lifestyle?
CAD, stroke, HTNs, diabetes, arthritis r/t disabilities, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease & some
cancers
How much of the total healthcare expenditures is spent on preventative approaches to preventable
disease?
3%
Define and provide examples of prevention strategies:
Primary: encourage health-enhancing behaviors by giving individuals, families, and communities
ways to reduce risk factors associated with disease and injury. Ex: nutrition and weight
management classes in a community center for adults, environmental changes to provide
nutritious choices in a school cafeteria vending machine, and Fruits and Veggies Matter
campaigns to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets.
Primary prevention strategies seek to expand the positive potential of health
Secondary: includes risk appraisal and screening to emphasize early detection/diagnosis of
disease. Begins at the point where the pathology of a disease may occur. It encompasses
diagnostic services that include screening, surveillance, and clinical examinations.
One model for secondary prevention involving screening is a cholesterol screening program for
early detection of cardiovascular problems, such as elevated blood pressure, elevated blood
cholesterol, and high glucose levels. Strategies are aimed at self-care for people with chronic
diseases. Ex: an education and awareness program to teach a woman with a history of
gestational diabetes how to control her weight through diet and exercise
Tertiary: involves treatment and rehabilitation and is defined as the reduction in the amount of
disability caused by a disease to achieve the highest level of function. Tertiary factors include
diabetes, kidney disease, and angina. The goal is the prevention of further disability and any
secondary conditions that might result from the initial health problem. Ex: medical nutrition
therapy (MNT) for people suffering from kidney disease, nutrition education about vitamin and
mineral supplementation and feeding strategies to prevent further complications of wasting
from HIV/AIDS, and cardiac rehabilitation through diet, exercise, and stress management. The
ultimate goal is, through rehabilitation, to restore the individual to an “optimal” level of
functioning, given the constraints of the disease.
What are some factors that contribute to overweight and obesity (modifiable and non-modifiable)?
Metabolic and genetic factors, as well as behaviors affecting dietary intake and physical activity,
contribute to being overweight. Cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic influences also play a
role. Most overweight and obese individuals eat more calories from food than they expend through
physical activity.
People with low food securities (high insecurities) are associated with obesity D/T eating high caloric
food without good nutrition
What are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) key recommendations?
• A variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups—dark green, red and orange, legumes
(beans and peas), starchy, and other
• Fruits, especially whole fruits
, • Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, or fortified soy beverages
• A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans
and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products & Oils
• Limit saturated fats and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium.
How much weight loss (percent of total body weight) has been shown to improve health risks
associated with overweight and obesity?
A weight loss of as little as 10% can improve health risks associated with overweight and obesity
What is the relationship between cholesterol (dyslipidemia) and cardiovascular disease and how can
this be managed through diet?
• Dyslipidemia is characterized by an abnormality in plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, or both.
In many developed countries, dyslipidemia presents as hyperlipidemia and contributes to the
development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the build-up of plaques along
the inner walls of the arteries, causing inadequate blood flow and leading to serious
cardiovascular problems.
• Cardiovascular diseases include diseases of the heart and blood vessels: CHD, stroke, and
peripheral vascular diseases. CHD is the most common form of cardiovascular disease,
and
usually involves atherosclerosis and hypertension. The consequences of cardiovascular disease
are usually heart disease and stroke
• High blood cholesterol is one of the major independent risk factors for heart disease and stroke
What is the relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular disease and how can this be
managed through diet?
• High blood pressure is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Hypertension increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease
• Dietary approaches to management of HTN include adoption of the Dietary Approaches to
Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan & reducing sodium intake
• The DASH eating plan is a diet rich in calcium and potassium, consisting of fresh fruits,
vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. It advocates a low sodium intake; intakes of 1,600
mg have been found to be as effective as single drug therapy in lowering blood pressure.
• Other specific lifestyle modifications include reducing sodium to 2,400 mg a day
What is the relationship between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and how can this be
managed through diet?
• The majority of the deaths caused by diabetes are due to diabetes-associated cardiovascular
disease. The presence of diabetes in adults is associated with a two- to fourfold increase in
CHD
compared to nondiabetic adults. Almost ¾ of adults with diabetes have hypertension
• Include foods that contain complex carbohydrates, particularly those from whole grains, fruits,
vegetables, and low-fat milk. Reduce intake of total fat, esp saturated fat
In terms of cancer prevention, what are the benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables?
Fruit and vegetable consumption may protect against cancers of the mouth and pharynx,
esophagus, lung, stomach, colon, and rectum
What are seven risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
Age: Diabetes is most common in people over 60 years of age
Ethnicity: Deaths from diabetes are twice as high for African Americans as for Caucasians; Native
