Poor Nutrition

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Poor nutrition is the major contributor to the leading causes of chronic disease and death in the world. Chronic conditions accounted for 60 % deaths in the world, in 2001. Diabetes and obesity affect a large amount of the populace and it has started appearing earlier in life because of the new lifestyle behaviours. Chronic diseases are long period diseases and they generally progress very slowly; they are non-communicable conditions (which means they cannot be from one person to another). There is a countless number of chronic conditions in the world, some of this conditions can be prevented, treated and managed by good nutrition. Nutrition is the process of obtaining food necessary for body maintenance, reproduction, growth and health of …show more content…

In a study conducted in Soweto the data showed that children with low birth weight (which can be due to inadequate nutrition during infancy or foetal stage) and gained weight during the first five years after birth have high systolic blood pressure. Those who had normal body weight and had maintained it after birth, have an optimal systolic blood pressure. High birth weight is associated with early childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome which can progress from childhood to adulthood. Malnutrition in children can result in a number of chronic illnesses for example iron deficiency can result in chronic iron deficiency anaemia, children require more iron because they play outside and lose blood when they can hurt(cut) and girls in the puberty stage lose a lot of iron during menstruation. A balanced diet with food high iron should be enforced. Other common conditions in child malnutrition are xerophthalmia (vitamin A deficiency) and hypothyroidism (iodine …show more content…

Primary and secondary preventions are more the same than different. The prevention methods such as adequate nutrition, active lifestyle and avoiding rick factors (alcohol intake, high sodium intake, smoking among others). Nutritional deficiencies in key micronutrients may promote oxidative stress, folate insufficiency can escalate the risk for heart disease. Zinc deficiency might worsen affecting glucose transport in the presence of diabetes. Low vegetable and fruit intake may furthermore proliferate the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer over different

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