Understanding Nutrition Chapter 1, 14th ed.

nutrition assessment

a comprehensive analysis of a person's nutrition status that uses health, socioeconomic, drug, and diet histories; anthropometric measurements; physical examinations; and laboratory tests.

risk factor

a condition or behavior associated with an elevated frequency of a disease but not proved to be causal. Leading risk factors for chronic diseases include obesity, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, physical inactivity, and a diet high in saturated fats and low in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

subclinical deficiency

a deficiency in the early stages, before the outward signs have appeared.

calories

a measure of heat energy. Energy provided by foods and beverages is measured in kilocalories (1000 calories equal 1 kilocalorie), abbreviated kcalories or kcal. One kcalorie is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram (kg) of water 1°C. The scientific use of the term kcalorie is the same as the popular use of the term calorie.

energy density

a measure of the energy a food provides relative to the weight of the food (kcalories per gram).

Healthy People

a national public health initiative under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that identifies the most significant preventable threats to health and focuses efforts toward eliminating them.

secondary deficiency

a nutrient deficiency caused by something other than an inadequate intake such as a disease condition or drug interaction that reduces absorption, accelerates use, hastens excretion, or destroys the nutrient.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI )

a set of nutrient intake values for healthy people in the United States and Canada. These values are used for planning and assessing diets and include: o Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) o Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) o Adequate Intakes (AI) o Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL)

malnutrition

any condition caused by excess or deficient food energy or nutrient intake or by an imbalance of nutrients. mal = bad

nutrients

chemical substances obtained from food and used in the body to provide energy, structural materials, and regulating agents to support growth, maintenance, and repair of the body's tissues. Nutrients may also reduce the risks of some diseases.

undernutrition

deficient energy or nutrients.

chronic diseases

diseases characterized by slow progression and long duration. Examples include heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

overnutrition

excess energy or nutrients.

ethnic foods

foods associated with particular cultural groups.

functional foods

foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis at effective levels.

cultural competence

having an awareness and acceptance of cultures and the ability to interact effectively with people of diverse cultures.

covert (KOH-vert)

hidden, as if under covers.

organic

in chemistry, substances or molecules containing carbon-carbon bonds or carbon-hydrogen bonds that are characteristic of living organisms. The four classes of nutrients that are organic are carbohydrates, lipids (fats), proteins, and vitamins.

deficient

inadequate; a nutrient amount that fails to meet the body's needs and eventually results in deficiency symptoms.

minerals

inorganic elements. Some minerals are essential nutrients required in small amounts by the body for health.

phytochemicals (FIE-toe-KEM-ih-cals)

nonnutrient compounds found in plants. Some phytochemicals have biological activity in the body. o phyto = plant

inorganic

not containing carbon or pertaining to living organisms. The two classes of nutrients that are inorganic are minerals and water. in = not

essential nutrients

nutrients a person must obtain from food because the body cannot make them for itself in sufficient quantity to meet physiological needs; also called indispensable nutrients. About 40 nutrients are currently known to be essential for human beings.

vitamins

organic, essential nutrients required in small amounts by the body for health.

overt (oh-VERT)

out in the open and easy to observe. ouvrir = to open

foods

products derived from plants or animals that can be taken into the body to yield energy and nutrients for the maintenance of life and the growth and repair of tissues.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)

ranges of intakes for the energy nutrients that provide adequate energy and nutrients and reduce the risk of chronic diseases

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR)

ranges of intakes for the energy nutrients that provide adequate energy and nutrients and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

anthropometric (AN-throw-poe-MET-rick)

relating to measurement of the physical characteristics of the body, such as height and weight.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

the average daily amount of a nutrient considered adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy people; a goal for dietary intake by individuals.

Adequate Intake (AI )

the average daily amount of a nutrient that appears sufficient to maintain a specified criterion; a value used as a guide for nutrient intake when an RDA cannot be determined.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR )

the average daily amount of a nutrient that will maintain a specific biochemical or physiological function in half the healthy people of a given age and gender group.

Estimated Energy Requirement (EER )

the average dietary energy intake that maintains energy balance and good health in a person of a given age, gender, weight, height, and level of physical activity.

energy

the capacity to do work. The energy in food is chemical energy. The body can convert this chemical energy to mechanical, electrical, or heat energy.

genome (GEE-nome)

the complete set of genetic material (DNA) in an organism or a cell. The study of genomes is called genomics.

diet

the foods and beverages a person eats and drinks.

requirement

the lowest continuing intake of a nutrient that will maintain a specified criterion of adequacy.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

the maximum daily amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most healthy people and beyond which there is an increased risk of adverse health effects.

energy-yielding nutrients

the nutrients that break down to yield energy the body can use: o Carbohydrate o Fat o Protein

nutritional genomics

the science of how nutrients affect the activities of genes (nutrigenomics) and how genes affect the interactions between diet and disease (nutrigenetics).

nutrition

the science of the nutrients in foods and their actions within the body. A broader definition includes the study of human behaviors related to food and eating.