Question

Using short essay format and in your own words answer the following questions.

1. List and briefly describe the lifestyle behaviors that have an impact on health and aging. 2. Describe physiological aging and lifestyle factors which can modify the process. 3. Describe the energy and nutritional needs of older adults. 4. Describe disease of the aging brain and the role of nutrition in brain function. 5. What factors of the immune system protect people from infectious diseases, and what role does nutrition play in immunity? 6. Describe the characteristics of a diet that might offer the best protection against the onset of cancer. 7. Describe the dietary choices that best protect against most chronic diseases. 8. How do Type I and Type 2 diabetes differ? Include how each type develops/manifests.

Answer 1

1• Lifestyle factors that impact health and aging are: body weight, bodycomposition, immunity and inflammation, the G.I. tract, tooth loss, sensory loss, physicalproblems, psychological changes, economic changes and social changes. All of thesecan impact a person’s aging process whether good or bad. It depends on the personand the control they have over such changes when they occur along with the choicesthey make.

2• Depression is a serious psychological component that can impact a person’shealth. From loss of appetite to loss of motivation to do much of anything. Economicchanges can inhibit someone from eating healthier. People who are considered lowsocio-economic are more likely to have food that is less in nutrients, therefore having alower intake than the recommended average. Social changes such as divorce, livingalone, living in federally funded housing etc., are more than likely to have poor food.

3• Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet so your body gets the nutrients that it needs. Nutrients are substances in foods that our bodies need so they can function and grow.They include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.

4• Results suggest that higher adherence to a healthy dietary pattern is associated with preservation of brain structure and function as well as slower cognitive decline, with the MIND diet substantially slowing cognitive decline, over and above the MeDi and DASH diets. Whilst results to-date suggest adherence to a healthy diet, such as the MeDi, DASH, or MIND, is an important modifiable risk factor in the quest to develop strategies aimed at increasing likelihood of healthy brain ageing, further work is required to develop dietary guidelines with the greatest potential benefit for public health; a research topic of increasing importance as the world's population ages.

5• Good nutrition is fundamental to improving immunity. The immune system is the body’s defense against disease and infection and it has long been established that several factors influence the function of the immune system including stress, sleep and nutrition. The WHO guidance on diet, especially during the current pandemic states that “good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back” (WHO, 2020). Providing a diet high in nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals supports optimal function of the immune system by providing antioxidants to slow damage of cells caused by free radicals.

6• To lower your risk for many types of cancer—as well as other serious disease—aim to build your diet around a variety of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and healthy fats.

7• Eating healthy helps prevent, delay, and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. A balanced diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products is important at any age.

8• They are responsible for producing insulin in the body. In Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin and in a bid to balance things out, tries to produce more but cannot keep up with the demand. While symptoms of Type 1 develop quickly. They typically manifest themselves over a matter of few weeks.