Significant Nutrition Problems Essay Example for Free

Significant Nutrition Problems Essay 1. List 3 significant nutrition problems associated with obesity in young children and adolescents. Cite references.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Three significant nutrition problems associated with childhood and adolescent obesity are hypothyroidism, type II diabetes, and dyslipidemia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Hypothyroidism is the failure of the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones which is caused by certain nutrition problems such as increased cholesterol levels and low serum sodium. Type II diabetes is a condition wherein the body fails to properly utilize insulin due to the increase in glucose. Finally, dyslipidemia is a condition characterized by high blood cholesterol and increased triglycerides mainly due to consumption of foods high in fat (United States National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, 2008). Factors that increase iron deficiency in older adults.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Among older adults, there are several factors that increase the occurrence of iron deficiency. These include the diet, age, and physical condition. Basically as people age, their physical abilities wear down, such as losing their teeth, and they tend to consume less food. As a result, the amount of iron in their body goes down. Another major factor is internal bleeding which is usually caused by tumors and ulcers among old people (KomoTV, 2008). When old people bleed, they lose iron and this eventually leads to iron deficiency. Food and Nutrition Information Center   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, the difference between the food pyramid of old people and the food pyramid of children is that in the former there is more emphasis on the intake of foods that have more fiber and vitamins and less calories such as fruits and vegetables while the latter focuses more on whole grain foods and also fruits and vegetables. I believe that any older adult or child can adhere to the guidelines set by the pyramid because it is basically easy to follow. The only thing that hinders children from following the pyramid is the lack of guidance from parents while in older adults, there is lack of discipline. Otherwise, I believe that any person, no matter how young or old he or she is can follow these guidelines and be able to live a healthy life.   References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/faq.htm. KotoTV.com. (2008). Iron Deficiency. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://ww3.komotv.com/global/story.asp?s=1230142. United States Department of Agriculture. (2008). Dietary Guidance: Food Guide Pyramid. Food and Nutrition Information Center. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4tax_level=2tax_subject=256topic_id=1348. United States National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. (2008). High blood cholesterol and triglycerides. MedlinePlus. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000403.htm. United States National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. (2007). Hypothyroidism. MedlinePlus. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000353.htm. United States National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. (2007). Type 2 diabetes. MedlinePlus. Retrieved April 24, 2008 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000313.htm.