National Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Guidelines for Service Providers of ...

social and health effects. Some of the undesirable health effects of alcohol include increased risk of
liver cirrhosis, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol related dementia (side effect of thiamin), impaired
coordination and delayed reaction time. Alcohol also interacts negatively with some medications
including ARVs. The undesirable social effects of excessive alcohol intake include involvement in crime,
violence and risky sexual behavior, automobile accidents, just to mention a few.
Most people who drink should be encouraged to:
Eat before taking alcoholic beverages so they will not miss out on essential nutrients.
Try non or low alcoholic drinks sometimes.
Extend alcoholic drinks with low calorie mixers or water.
Drink slowly take smaller sips.
Reduce eating crisps and nuts when drinking alcohol as this will add more calories and fat to
your intake.
Reduce the intake of salty foods while drinking as doing so will cause them to thirst, and thus
lead to more drinking.
2.4.6 Physical activity
Besides healthy eating, physical activity is of paramount importance in achieving and maintaining
health and wellness. Without exercise, it is difficult to maintain good health even if one makes healthy
food choices. It is recommended that adults should have a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity
3-5 times a week. This recommendation is in addition to daily household activities. For children a
minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day, 3-5 times a week is recommended.
Physical activity or manual work is strongly associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases such as
Heart diseases, obesity and cancer. Physical activity also keeps the bones strong by helping the bones to
be renewed (bone remodeling; thus bone re-absorption and bone formation). The intensity of exercise
is somewhat difficult to standardize because it is very much dependent on the physical fitness of the
person exercising, his/her body weight and age, and the type of activity undertaken. Roughly
moderately intense physical activity can include fast/ brisk walking for at least 30 minutes. In general,
the level of physical activity can be increased by increasing body movements, such as swinging hands
while walking and by increasing the duration of the physical activity.
Examples of physical activity include; walking, jogging climbing or going down stairs instead of using a
lift, parking a car a bit far from your destination (e.g. shopping area) and walking to the shops, cleaning
the house or yard, raking, gardening, washing clothes, gymnastics, aerobics, sporting/playing e.g.
cycling, running, playing soccer, basket ball, tennis, weight-lifting exercises, etc.
2.4.7 Healthy body weight
Body weight is a reflection of energy balance. In order to maintain a healthy body weight it is important
to strike a balance between the energy obtained from food and the energy spent through physical
activity. If the food consumed provides more energy (calories) than the body uses, the excess energy
will be stored in the form of fat deposits and thereby increase the risk of non communicable diseases
such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
There are several anthropometric methods that can be used to estimate energy stores. The first and
mostly commonly used method in adults is the Body Mass Index (BMI). This method is used to evaluate
the appropriateness of body weight per given stature. It is calculated as shown in the box below. BMI
values between 20 and 25 are associated with the least risk of morbidity and mortality from nonn
communicable diseases. As BMI increases past 25, the risk of non-communicable diseases and mortality
increases. Refer to the box below to understand the classification criteria for BMI.
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