Chapter 6: Human Diet

Human Diet Introduction

Food provides nutrients for energy, our body growth and protection. No single food has all the necessary nutrients. That is why you need to eat a diversity of foods.
So, after reading this chapter, you will be able to understand the implications of your diet and also be able to plan for different diets for different people.
You will appreciate the importance of nutrition and also trace foods that contain nutrients which are necessary for the body to minimise deficiency symptoms provided they constitute your daily meals (balanced diet).
You will be in position to also detect the disorders associated with poor feeding/ nutrition and the possible causes of famine and hunger in some communities.
6.1: Nutrition as Concept
It is a common practice to find some cultures eating some foods that others don’t eat Usually such groups of people think what they don’t eat is not food. In activity 6.1, you will understand nutrition as a concept
Activity 6.1: Dtscusslng nutrition as a concept
What you need: notebooks, braille paper, stylus, slate, perkins brailler
What to do; In groups;

1. Discuss the following words:
   (a) Nutrition (b) Food (c) Good nutrition
2. What is the purpose of good nutrition to living organism .
3. Write a report
4. Present your findings to the rest of the class.
5. Individually write notes.

Grouping and Discussing Foods Basing on their Food Nutrients, their Sources and Uses to Human Beings
We are lucky that we have so many foods to choose from. Each food has its special value. Each food is important. To help you select a variety Of foods for your children, we need to classify these foods into food groups.
In Aaivity 62, you will group and discuss foods basing on their major food nutrients, sources and uses to human life.
Actjvtty 6.2: Grouping and discussing foods basing on their major Food nutrients, their sources and uses to human beings
What you need: notebooks, braille paper, stylus, slate, Perkins brailler.

What to do:

1. Group these photographs basing on the major nutrients in each food to produce a graphic food guide.
2. What is the use of each of the main nutrients in each food category.
3. Present your work to the rest of the class.
4. Individually write or braille notes in your notebook.
   The Concept of a Balanced Diet in Relation to Age, Sex and the Body’s activity
   Except breast milk for a child below 6 months,no single food contains all of the nutrients we need to be healthy. That is why we need to eat a variety of foods in sufficient amounts. A good diet will include many different foods, preferably consumed over the course of the day, and will be sufficient in quantity and quality to meet an individual’s need for food energy (calories) and other nutrients. In activity you will learn how to design a balanced diet for different groups of people.

Activity 6.3: Explonng the concept of a balanced diet in relation to age, sex and body’s activity
What you need: notebooks, internet connection for research , slate, stylus, perkins brailler and braille papers
what to do:
In groups:

1. Design a meal for each of the following categories of people either on a
   poster or chart(s)
   (a) One-year old baby
   (b) An adolescent girl
   (c) A pregnant mother
   (d) Physically active adolescent
   (e) An eighty year-old person
2. Give reasons why each of the designed meal is suitable for each respective category of people.
3. Present your work in class.
4. Individually write or braille notes in your notebook.

Food Deficiency Symptoms
When you deprive your body of essential nutrients, it suffers food deficiency symptoms, what are these food deficiency symptoms? How do they manifest? In Activity 6.4, you will discuss the symptoms of various food deficiency symptoms.
Activity 6.4: Identifying food deficiency symptoms
What you need: notebooks, braille paper, stylus, slate, Perkins brailler.
What to do:

In groups:

1. Search from the Internet the causes of various food deficiency diseases with emphasis on marasmus, kwashiorkor and micro nutrient deficiencies.
2. What are the signs and symptoms of each food deficiency disease.
3. Record your work and present your findings in class.
4. Individually write notes in your notebook.

Activity 6.5: Determining and interpreting body mass index (BMI) values
What to do: stadiometer or a meter rule and a weighing scale, notebooks, braille paper, stylus, slate, perkins brailler
What you need:
In groups:

1. Measure the height of each member of your group using a stadiometer, height rod, rope and meter ruler or any other relevant device.
2. Measure the weight of each member of your group?
3. Calculate the body mass index of each group member dividing weight in Kilograms by the square of height in meters.

4. What is the meaning of each BMI value obtained using the table below

5. What nutritional advice can you give to each member of your group?
6. Present your findings to the rest of the class.

6.2: Dangers of Common Eating Disorders and Use of Drugs on the Body
Many teenagers tend to dodge meals or eat a lot and either exercise excessively or force vomiting while others tend to use steroid drugs to build muscles. Such individuals have eating disorders and the drugs they use have effects on their bodies. In activity 6.6, you will discuss the dangers of common eating disorders and use of drugs on body image.
Activity 6.6: Discussing Dangers of common eating disorders and use of drugs on body image.
What you need: notebook, stylus, slate, perkins brailler, braille papers, textbooks and internet if available
What to do:
In groups

What to do:

1. Research about common eating disorders especially Bulimia Nervosa and In groups Anorexia Nervosa using text books or Internet.
2. Identify the dangers of each eating disorder on the general body image.
3. Identify the common drugs used by teenagers today and discuss the effects of drug use on body image.
4. Present your findings in class.
   6.3: Famine and Hunger in Communities
   At times. there is widespread famine caused by several causes. This forces people to finish a day without a meal or to even have only one meal per day. In Activity 6.7. you will investigate the causes of famine and hunger in your communities.
   Activity 6.7: Investigating famine and hunger in communities
   What you need: notebooks, braille paper, stylus, slate, perkins brailler.
   What to do:
   In groups;
5. 1. Move to the neighbouring community.
6. Ask individuals from different families the causes of famine and hunger in communities.
7. Discuss the possible solutions to the probable causes of famine and hunger in communities.
8. Present your work in class.