Course:LFS100/Nutrition
Nutrition & Health
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Food is central to life. It is our source of energy and nourishment, and is fundamental to human development and overall health. Broadly speaking, nutrition refers to the interaction between food and the human body, and the resulting effect on human health and wellbeing. So it should come as no surprise that diets are both the problem and solution to a number of leading diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Food choices also have environmental implications that directly impact human health. For example, the increase in the consumption of meat and diary products has not only lead to a rise in the aforementioned diseases, but it has also contributed to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater loss and pollution, and land degradation. Given these complexities, there are a wide variety of organizations, from the public and private sectors, working to better understand individual, social, and environmental determinants of food choices and eating patterns as a means for improving nutrition and health across the globe. Many believe that the best way to augment nutrition and health is through the provision of diversified, safe, and balanced diets that are also culturally appropriate.
Tips:
- Watch this brief video on the link between diet and disease.
- Check out Mark Bittman’s talk on food choices and their implications.