Chapter 5: Nutrition and Your Health

Lesson 1: Food in Your LifeFor 14-15 year olds (grade 7)

Merki, M.B., & Merki, D. (1999). Glencoe Health: A Guide to Wellness. Teacher’s Wraparound Edition. Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

Marissa Wheeler

Copyrighted materials used in this lecture are used for academic purposes, and therefore fall under the Fair Use laws.

Communication Objectives

• This lecture intends to:– Define “nutrients” and “nutrition”– Help students discover the difference

between appetite and hunger– Discuss issues that affect the foods you

choose to eat

Nutrients

• The substances in food that your body needs to function properly to grow, to repair itself, and to supply you with energy.

• Nutrients come from the foods that you eat, and affect all aspects of your life.

Hunger

• The body’s physical need for food. • A natural drive that protects you

from starvation. • Nerve endings in your stomach tell

your brain that your stomach is empty and needs food.

• Eating satisfies this need.

Appetite

• A desire to eat, rather than a need.• A learned response shaped by your

environment. – Cultural heritage– Family and Friends– Media Messages– Lifestyle

Culture

• Food choices are made based on our:– Culture– Ethnic background– Religious beliefs– Age group

Family and Friends

• What you grew up eating with your family shaped your likes and dislikes in regards to food, and will affect your eating choices throughout your life.

• New food experiences at friends’ houses introduced you to new foods that you may have liked or disliked.

Advertising

• Advertisements about food are in television, magazines, and on the internet

• Ads attempt to influence you to try a certain food, and hopefully continue to buy it.

• Ads should be reviewed cautiously, because many are persuasive but misleading.

Advertising Propaganda

Time, Money, and Your Emotions

• People choose foods that are quick, easy, and cheap

• People may eat more or less when they are bored, stressed, frustrated, depressed, upset, or tense

Your Eating Habits

• Eating poorly can result in many undesirable health conditions.

• Eating is linked to six of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States.

• People do not know the difference between being hungry and having an appetite, so they eat past the point of being full.

Nutrition Throughout Your Life

• Nutrition is the process by which the body takes in and uses food.

• Your body needs nutrients for you to grow and develop.

• Nutrients help you to stay healthy and alert, and give you energy to feel good.

• Hunger and appetite are different, and it is important to distinguish between them.

• Proper nutrition comes from eating enough of the right nutrients.

• Nutrients help you grow and develop.• Many factors influence the food

choices we make.

For More Information

• Official United States Governmental nutrition website:– Nutrition.gov

• USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center:– http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/

index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=1