Question

Part A: Instructions

After reading Chapters 5, 7, & 8 in the textbook, spend a few moments thinking about and reflecting upon the messages and lessons you have received from your family, friends, education, community, and society (Ecological Model of Health and Wellness) on food and nutrition. In the space below, answer the following questions. For each question, please reflect and respond with at least one thorough paragraph per question.

a. Growing up, what are some messages you received from friends, family, media etc. around food and nutrition? (3 pts)

b. What are your current beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors towards food and nutrition? (3 pts)

c. Do your current behaviors and beliefs align with what you were taught? In general, are your current food and nutrition behaviors in alignment with your beliefs and values on these topics? Why or why not? (3 pts)

Answer 1

a)

Eating healthy food helps children get the nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy, active, and strong. Children develop their eating patterns early in life. These early years are an opportunity for you to teach them healthy habits that will stay with them as they get older.Adequate nutrition is one of the important factor influencing growth & immunity. A balanced diet must contain sufficient amount of carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre in the required amounts. Each of these nutrients has a vital role in the all-round growth and development of children

b)Food habits are one of the most complex aspects of human behavior, being determined by multiple motives and directed and controlled by multiple stimuli. Food acceptance is a complex reaction influenced by biochemical, physiological, psychological, social and educational factors.For most people food is cultural, not nutritional. A plant or animal may be considered edible in one society and inedible in another. Probably one of the most important things to remember in connection with the cultural factors involved in food habits is that there are many combination of food which will give same nutritional results.

Food habits are among the oldest and most deeply entrenched aspects of many cultures and cannot, therefore, be easily changed, or if forcibly changed, can produce a series of unexpected and unwelcome reactions. Food and food habits as a basic part of culture serve as a focus of emotional association, a channel of love, discrimination and disapproval and usually have symbolic references.

c)Cultural variation may play an important role in human nutrition and must be considered in either clinical or public health intervention particularly in areas with large immigrant populations.Our current behaviours and beliefs always align with what we were taught during childhoods.Some are Vegetarian lovers and others are non-vegaterian .

The food actually consumed is obviously determined by what is available. It is not surprising, therefore, to find considerable differences in food selection between rural and urban communities. Within both urban and rural communities, variations in food selection between families are also influenced by socio-economic status.