Nutrition and disease are directly connected. The foods we choose to eat can benefit our bodies or cause us to be more susceptible to illness and disease. In the United States, the leading causes of death, each having a direct link to nutrition include heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and stroke. Aside from nutrition, the only lifestyle habits that have a greater impact on chronic disease include the use of tobacco products and consuming excessive amounts alcohol (Sizer & Whitney, 2017). In addition to the factors that we can control, there are also factors that we cannot control that can make us more susceptible to disease, including genetics and environmental factors. Regular consumption of a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet may not completely prevent the development of a chronic disease, it has been shown to decrease both the chance of contracting one and if contracted, can decrease the severity and progression (Gustafson, 2014). As research continues into the effects of consuming a healthy diet, researchers now have evidence that nutritional choices can aid in the reversal of some of the deadliest diseases (Gustafson, 2014).
Chronic diseases are long-term diseases that are not contagious, are preventable, and are the cause of 70% of annual deaths in the United States (Harvard School of Public Health, 2017). Chronic conditions like type II diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease can be prevented by participating in regular physical activity, consuming a healthy diet, and limiting the intake of unhealthy foods, tobacco products, and regular consumption of alcohol. People who consume higher than the minimum recommended amounts of saturated fats and sugars, are at increased risk of becoming obese and therefore at greater risk for chronic disease (Gustafson, 2014). Obesity is a national epidemic, making up an estimated 35% of the adult population of the United States, and combined with those who are overweight, the percentage jumps to a staggering 69% of Americans (Sizer & Whitney, 2017). Obesity is a major contributor to hypertension, sleep apnea, chronic pain, and high cholesterol (Gustafson, 2014). The longer someone lives being obese, the greater chance they have of premature death as a result of even more serious medical conditions such as kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, and certain types of cancers (Gustafson, 2014). With the documented connection between nutrition and disease, it is both shocking and saddening that there are so many Americans suffering from chronic diseases that quite possibly could have been prevented.
Throughout the world, malnutrition affects 1 in 9 people, but is most prevalent in children from birth to five years of age from low income countries (Valdés-Sosa et al, 2018). Malnutrition is a result of consuming an insufficient amount of crucial nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body (Valdés-Sosa et al, 2018). These crucial nutrients should come from macronutrients and micronutrients, in the form of food, however, in many areas of the world there is simply not enough food available. In some countries there may be enough food to provide the needed calories, but the foods contain an inadequate amount of nutrients to sustain life (Sizer & Whitney, 2017). As a result of this devastating reality, generations of life are negatively affected even prior to birth. It is hard to believe living in the United States that there are still more than 50,000 women that die each year during childbirth due to severe iron deficiency, and more than half a million children under the age of 5 become permanently blind from a severe deficiency of Vitamin A (Sizer & Whitney, 2017).
There are two main types of malnutrition: Marasmus, which is characterized by extremely low weight for age, dehydration, and chronic diarrhea; Kwashiorkor, which is characterized by distended abdomen, failure to gain weight and grow, and fluid retention (Global childhood malnutrition, 2006). Malnutrition results in a significant increase in neurological, cognitive, and mental health problems throughout the lifetime of the individual, but the results of which can extend to future generations (Valdés-Sosa et al, 2018). A study published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (formally known as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), also known as UNICEF, released a report in 2015 estimating that 146 million children worldwide under the age of five are malnourished and underweight, causing them to be more susceptible to common childhood illnesses. In the same report, they estimate that approximately 5-6 million children die annually as a result of malnutrition (Global childhood malnutrition, 2006).
References
Global childhood malnutrition. (2006). Lancet, 367(9521), 1459. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68620-0
Gustafson, C. (2014). Michael Greger, MD: Reversing chronic disease through diet; addressing the 2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines Committee. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal, 13(2), 22-24.
Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-30563937-9, ISBN-10: 1-305-63937-5
Valdés-Sosa, P. A., Galler, J. R., Bryce, C. P., Rabinowitz, A. G., Bringas-Vega, M. L., Hernández-Mesa, N., & Taboada-Crispi, A. (2018). Seeking Biomarkers of Early Childhood Malnutrition’s Long-term Effects. MEDICC Review, 20(2), 43–48. Retrieved from http://library.ashford.edu/EzProxy.aspx?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,cpid&custid=s8856897&db=ccm&AN=129606511&site=ehost-live
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