Encyclopedia Of Foods

C H A P T E r t h r e eTHEFOOD-HEALTHCONNECTIONKnowing what nutrients comprise a well-balanced diet,in what foods to find them, and in what quantities toeat them are some of the first steps to good health. Applyingthis knowledge by eating nutrient-rich foods and incorporatingphysical activity into your schedule at any stage oflife are the greatest investments you can make in sustaininggood health.Although healthful eating may lower your risk for certaindiseases, there are no guarantees that adhering to the tenetsof good nutrition will prevent an illness from developing.Science has shown that not all diseases or disorders are associatedwith what you eat. However, statistics do showthat lifelong food selections may influence therisk for some diseases.Research continues to evaluate andclarify the role that diet and nutritionplay in the promotion ofhealth and in the development ofobesity, high blood pressure,diabetes mellitus, coronary arterydisease, osteoporosis, cancer, andother illnesses. The nutritionalrecommendations for preventionof many diseases are similar (seeChapter 1).In this chapter you will learnabout selected conditions in whichnutrition plays an important roleand how proper nutrition may affect and even alter thecourse of these conditions.OBESITYIf obesity were merely a matter of aesthetics, it would be ofless concern. But obesity is a health issue. It is associatedwith an increased risk of diabetes, lipid abnormalities,coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers(such as breast, colon, and gallbladder in women and colonand prostate in men), stroke, degenerative arthritis,respiratory problems, sleep disturbances, andgallbladder disease.Obesity places a huge burden on society interms of lost lives, ongoing illnesses, emotional pain,discrimination, and economic cost (nearly $100billion annually). The most ominous burdens posed bybeing overweight are reduction of the quality of life andshortening of life span. The likelihoodof dying early (comparedwith the average age at deathof all people in the population)progressively increases the moreoverweight you are. Diseasescaused by obesity are the secondleading cause of preventable deathsin the United States.