A balanced diet and calorific values

Balanced Diet and Calorific Value

2.1

Balanced Diet and Calorific Value

Health problems caused by malnutrition

Calorific value

Calorific value of food: the amount of energy that is released from the complete oxidation or combustion of 1 g of that food.

Unit of calorific value

\(\text {1 calorie (cal)} \)\(\text {= 4.2 joules (J)}\)

\(\text {1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4 200 joules (J)}\)

\(\text {= 4.2 kilojoules (kJ)}\)

Calorific values of carbohydrate, fat and protein

Class of food	Calorific value (\(\text {kJ } \text{g}^{-1}\))
Carbohydrate	16.7
Fat	37.6
Protein	16.7

Effects of consuming total calories that do not meet individual requirement

Health problem	Cause and effect
Obesity	Consuming food with high calorific value excessively over long periods of time Effect: Diabetes mellitus Arteriosclerosis High blood pressure
Anorexia nervosa	Individual's refusal to eat due to worries of gaining weight Effect: Malnutrition
Atherosclerosis	Cholesterol deposition on the artery walls Effect: High blood pressure Heart diseases Stroke
Diabetes mellitus	Consuming food and drinks high in sugar over long periods of time Effect: Affects vision, kidney and the various system Slow recovery of wounds
High blood pressure	Consuming food with high salt content over long periods of time. Effect: Risk of heart diseases Stroke

Eating patterns and effects on their health

Eating patterns	Effects of health
Excessive sugar	Obesity Tooth decay Diabetes mellitus
Absence of beneficial nutrients	Malnutrition
Artificial colouring and sweeteners	Cancer Infertility Diabetes mellitus Damage to liver and kidneys
Excessive salt	High blood pressure Heart diseases Damage to kidneys
Caffeine in carbonated drinks	Insomnia Anxiety Addiction