DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

Appendix 8: Glossary
Adequate Intake (AI)
The average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally-determined
approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy
people that are assumed to be adequate. An AI is set when there is inadequate evidence to
support setting an RDI.
Adolescents
For the purposes of these Guidelines, an adolescent is someone aged 12 to 18 years. A marked
increase in the rate of growth and development during adolescence increases the need for most
nutritents including energy, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Allium vegetables
Vegetables derived from a bulbous plant having an onion odour, including garlic, leeks, shallots,
chives and onion.
Anaemia
There are several forms of anaemia. Microcytic anaemia (referring to small red blood cells) is a
deficiency of red blood cells or their haemoglobin, often, but not always, related to iron deficiency.
Macrocytic anaemia (referring to large red blood cells) is prevalent in some groups (such as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and may in some cases be associated with
deficiencies of other nutrients, especially folate and vitamin B12.
Body mass
Body mass and body weight are often used interchangeably to describe the weight of a person’s
body.
Body mass index (BMI)
An index calculated by dividing the weight of an individual (in kilograms) by the square of their
height (in metres), BMI is a simple estimate of the body fatness of a human being who does not
have abnormal physical characteristics. The World Health Organization and the US National
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 191