Overview
Nutrition isn't about suppressing hunger, feeding yourself or eating your favourite foods. Nutrition is an action that needs to be done consciously to ingest the nutrients that the body needs in sufficient quantities and at appropriate times in order to preserve health and to improve the quality of life.
Adequate and Balanced Nutrition
We grow constantly throughout our lives. In order to grow and develop in a healthy way, starting at infancy; a regular, balanced and adequate nutrition is required. Nutrition, i.e. eating, is an important part of our daily work. Adequate and balanced nutrition is essential for health protection and disease prevention.
When nutrients are not taken at amounts required by the body; the under-nutrition occurs because adequate energy cannot be generated and body tissues cannot be produced.
If a person eats more than necessary; he/she gets more nutrients than necessary. As some of the nutrient – which are ingested excessively – are stored in the form of fat; they are harmful to the body. This condition is defined as unbalanced nutrition. Although a person eats enough; some of the nutrients are lost due to wrong cooking method or wrong choice of nutrition. Therefore, health can be deteriorated as they cannot help proper functioning of the body. This condition is called unbalanced nutrition.
Infants and children, young people, women of childbearing age, pregnant and lactating mothers, elderly persons and workers are the main groups affected by malnutrition. In adults, obesity and the resultant diseases are important public health problems.
Appearance of people who are nourished adequately and balanced can be defined as follows:
- Strong appearance,
- Active and careful look,
- Regular, smooth, light pink skin,
- Vivid and shiny hair,
- Strong muscles with normal development,
- Smooth, well-developed arms and legs,
- A personality who has a good appetite, willing to work and does not often complain of headaches,
- Body weight is proportional to height and age,
- A personality who is able to work continuously, with normal mental, spiritual and social development.
The appearance of people with inadequate and unbalanced nutrition;
- A heavy, reluctant, bent body,
- A swollen abdomen,
- Various wounds and roughness on the skin,
- Frequent headache,
- A tired, reluctant personality with poor appetite
Doctors
