Lifestyles and Nutrition: Human Nutrition (2020 Edition)
Introduction
- Nutrition impacts health along with genetics, environment, life cycle, and lifestyle.
- Dietary habits include food choices, meal frequency, and eating out habits.
- Other lifestyle factors: physical activity, drug use, and sleep patterns.
- A healthy lifestyle improves overall health.
Physical Activity
- 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans by HHS emphasize exercise for health.
- Benefits of physical activity:
- Reduces risk of early death, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.
- Prevents weight gain and falls.
- Improves cognitive function in the elderly.
Recreational Drug Use
- Includes tobacco, electronic smoking devices, alcohol, narcotics, and illegal drugs.
- Tobacco is linked to lung cancer and other diseases, causing over 400,000 deaths annually in the US.
- Excessive alcohol intake causes approximately 75,000 deaths annually.
- Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
- Illicit and prescription drug abuse leads to increased risks of stroke, heart disease, cancer, lung, and liver disease.
Sleeping Patterns
- Inadequate sleep affects health similarly to diet.
- Linked to increased risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and depression.
- Sleep apnea is associated with chronic disease risk.
Personal Choice: Choosing Foods
- Food choices influence energy, mood, meal frequency, and satiety.
- Healthier diets are linked to decreased depression and improved well-being.
- Food has psychological, cultural, and religious significance affecting personal choices.
Factors Influencing Food Choices
- Taste, texture, and appearance: Personal tastes impact food preferences.
- Economics: Access to fresh produce can be limited by economic and geographical factors.
- Early food experiences: Childhood exposure to foods shapes adult preferences.
- Habits: Established routines can influence nutritional quality.
- Culture: Cultural background affects food perceptions and habits.
- Geography: Location can limit or expand food options.
- Advertising: Media influences dietary choices.
- Social factors: Peer pressure affects eating habits.
- Health concerns: Dietary restrictions due to allergies or health conditions.
- Emotions: Stress and emotions can alter eating patterns.
- Green food/Sustainability: Environmental impact and ethics influence dietary habits.
Vegetarian Diet Types
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Includes eggs and dairy.
- Lacto-vegetarian: Includes dairy but not eggs.
- Ovo-vegetarian: Includes eggs but not dairy.
- Vegan: Excludes all animal products.
Learning Activities
- Interactive learning activities in the web-based textbook.
- Recommended to use a desktop/laptop and Google Chrome for best experience.
Licensing
- Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing lifestyles and nutrition, highlighting the interplay between dietary habits, physical activity, drug use, sleep, and personal food choices.