ESS250 Final Exam Study Guide - You may use one notebook of notes while taking

this exam.
Topics:
What is meant by the word nutrition?
Nutrition is the science that links foods to health and disease, includes the processes by which the
human organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, and excretes food substances.
How does nutrition affect our health? What are some health problems that are affected by
nutrition?
Nutrition is important for a persons growth and maintenance. Proper nutrition provides energy
and building blocks. There are a number of health problems that can occur without proper
nutrition, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and mental illnesses (depression).
What are the RDAs? DRIs? What are they used for?
RDAs are the Recommended Dietary Allowance. They are used to help a person evaluate their
intake for a specific nutrient and tells how much a person should be intaking. The Dietary
Reference Intake tells the nutrient needs of a person, such as the Upper Level, Adequate Intake,
and Recommended Dietary Allowance.
What are the DVs?
The DVs are Daily Values, which are a rough guide for people to compare the nutrient content to
their bodies needs.
Know how to find and read DRI charts.
Know how to read and use food labels.
Discuss how to use the myplate guideline for meal planning.
MyPlate commends that half of the plate be fruits and vegetables, half of a persons grains should
be whole, and people should switch to skim or 1% milk. People should also lower sodium and
drink more water.
Be able to calculate percentage of kcals from fat, given grams of fat and total calories.
Go from grams to calories
Bag has 100kcal
8g x 9kcal/g = 72kcals of fat
72kcal/100kcal
Be able to calculate which food (of those given) gives you more of a given nutrient per
calories, given nutrition and calorie information.
Describe Type II diabetes. What is metabolic syndrome? What causes it?
Type II diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. It is not genetic (developmental diabetes)
and essentially is a persons resistance to insulin. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms
and is linked to type II diabetes. It is diagnosed when people have 3 out of 5 symptoms: high
waist circumference, insulin resistance- high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high excess LDL
cholesterol (contributes to plaque), and increasing triglycerides (also contributes to plaque).
Protein structure of amino acids; essential and nonessential amino acids; complete and
incomplete proteins, concept of limiting amino acid
PUT PICTURE OF AMINO ACIDS

There are 20 different amino acids: 9 are essential, meaning they need to come from food because
our bodies dont make them. Eleven are nonessential: these need essential proteins in order to be
built.
Complete proteins are high quality because they have all of the essential amino acids. Incomplete
proteins dont have all of the amino acids and are considered low quality. Limiting amino acids
are amino acids that a person doesnt have enough of in any given process (missing).
Functions of protein in body
Proteins are the building blocks of the bodys compounds. They maintain fluid balance,
contribute to acid/base balance, help build hormones and enzymes, help immune function, form
glucose, and are energy yielding.
Protein needs for different groups: vegans, athletes
Vegetarian diets: pros and cons; Nutrients likely to be low in vegetarian diets
Pros: philosophical, religious, environmental, health reasons
Cons: harder to get nutrients
Low nutrients in vegetarian diets: vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium, omega-3.
Vitamins: for each vitamin, be able to name a few basic functions. What are coenzymes?
Which vitamin family is especially important in energy production (ATP production)?
Coenzymes are molecules that cannot catalyze a reaction but help enzymes do so.
Factors affecting vitamin content of foods
Improper storage, excessive cooking, exposure to light, heat, air, water, alkalinity
Causes of vitamin deficiencies
Not eating enough vitamins
Same for minerals
What are recommendations for maximizing bone density in adolescence, and minimizing
risk for osteoporosis later in life?
Osteoporosis is calcium deficiency and leads to fractures. To increase bone density, people should
consume the proper amount of calcium, regularly exercise (with strength training), avoid
smoking, and limit excessive alcohol consumption.
What is the DASH diet?
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension. Its designed to prevent high
blood pressure. It encourages a reduction in sodium, 6-8 servings of grains, 4-5 servings of fruits
and vegetables (separately), 2-3 servings of low fat dairy products, etc.
What are the electrolytes?
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals in your blood, urine, and other bodily fluids that
affect many processes in your body, lost through sweating.
What is hypertension? Dietary recommendations for the prevention of hypertension;
Dietary recommendations for prevention of artery disease
Hypertension is sustained systolic blood pressure. Prevention methods include losing excess
weight, following the DASH diet, exercising daily, and limiting sodium and alcohol.

What are antioxidants? Which nutrients act as antioxidants? To what health problems may
oxidative damage contribute?
Paul Offit article: does research suggest it is best to get our antioxidants from supplements?
Explain.
What is energy balance? What are the various components that contribute to energy
expenditure?
Energy balance is energy in, energy out.
Physical activity and adaptive thermogenesis contribute to energy expenditure.
What determines energy expenditure during exercise?
The more activity, the more energy burned.
What is BMR? What factors affect BMR?
BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the minimum energy expended to keep a resting, awake body
alive. It is ~1kcal/min. Factors: body surface area (weight, height), lean body mass, gender, body
temperature, thyroid hormone, nervous system activity, and age.
What is body composition? How is it measured? What is BMI? What does it measure?
Body composition is the amount of muscle and fat on ones body. It can be measured by
underwater weighing, air displacement, skinfold measurements, bioelectrical impedance, and
DEXA (dual x-ray photon absorptiometry.
BMI is Body Mass Index. It measures weight kg / height m2.
What is the relationship between obesity and health? What causes obesity?
Obesity tends to indicate poor health; it puts people at an increased risk for health problems.
Many factors, such as a poor diet, genetics, socioeconomic class, and lack of exercise contribute
to obesity.
Why are very low-calorie diets not generally recommended by nutritionists?
There are intense health risks such as cardiac problems and gallstones. In addition, this is a
gateway to an eating disorder. Ketosis
Water: functions in body. Fluid regulation, osmosis, fluid compartments
Dehydration: when does it occur? Dangers? Why does dehydration increase risk of heat injury?
What is sports nutrition? How does participation in physical activity/sport influence nutrient
needs?
Disordered eating vs eating disorders
Disordered eating is harder to pinpoint. People have very similar behaviors to eating disorders
(such as food restriction, binge eating, etc) but disordered eating can also include, self worth or
self esteem based exclusively on body shape and weight, a disturbance in the way one
experiences their body, excessive or rigid exercise routine, obsessive calorie counting, anxiety
about certain foods or food groups. The distinction is very slim. An individual with disordered
eating is often engaged in some of the same behavior as people with ED's but to a lesser
frequency or lower level of severity. They may be at risk for developing a full-blown ED.
How are very low-calorie diets thought to be related to disordered eating?
Nutrition recommendations for pregnant women.

Eat a balanced and adequate diet

In the 2nd and 3rd trimester, eat 350-450 extra kcal per day
Choose nutrient-dense foods
Protein: Additional 25 gm/day
CHO: 175 gm/day to prevent ketosis
Lipids: 20-30% of total calories should come from fat, 7% or less from saturated and 1% or less
from trans), better to have omega-6 (13 g/day) and omega-3 (1.4g/day)
Vitamin D: consume 15 micrograms/day
Folate: 600 micrograms/day
Iodide: 220 micrograms/day
Calcium: 1000mg/day
Zinc: 11mg/day
Iron: 27mg/day
Health benefits of human milk for human babies.
Human milk provides protection to infant against infections, high linoleic acid and cholesterol
content, long chain omega-3 fatty acids, adequate hydration for baby
List 8 advantages of breast feeding over formula feeding, for baby. Any benefits for Mom?
-bacteriologically safe
-always fresh and ready to go
-provides antibodies and substances that contribute to maturation of the immune system
-reduces risk of food allergies and intolerance as well as some other allergies
-decreases ear infections
-contributes to proper development of jaws and teeth for better speech development
-establishes habit of eating in moderation (20% lower risk of obesity)
- contributes to maturation of GI tract via Lactobacillus befidus factor; decreases incidence of
diarrhea and respiratory disease
Benefits for the mother include early recovery from pregnancy due to the action of hormones that
promote a quicker return of the uterus to its prepregnancy state, decrease in the risk of ovarian
and premenopausal breast cancer, potential for quicker return to prepregnancy weight, and
potential for delayed ovulation (reducing chances of pregnancy in the short term)
Possible essay questions:
What is illustrated by the CDC obesity and diabetes maps?
What are the possible causes of the rapid increase in obesity rates in the U.S.?
Media, lack of information, different dietary guidelines, more processed foods (easier access,
etc), expense (Whole Foods)
Obesity rates are higher in lower SES groups. What are some possible explanations for
this? List and briefly describe factors that help explain this association (at least 7 factors
discussed in class).
-Greater availability to fast food
-Healthy food is more expensive
-Less education on how to be healthy
-Crappy food lasts longer
-Fewer opportunities for physical activity (no gym memberships, cant afford to be on team
sports)
-cycle of overeating and famine harms body
-Financial and emotional stress (stress eating)

-Media says we need to be healthy but they dont know how to properly be healthy (just know
how to cut calories)
Articles on Moodle:
What are Dean Ornishs recommendations for a healthful diet for losing weight?
- The country is preoccupied with calories
- Misconception that as long as you lose weight, it doesn't matter what you eat.
Being thin and being healthy are not the same thing
- Low-carb Atkins-type diet might be a faster way to lose weight.
-Plant based meals achieved reversal of even severe coronary artery disease + moderate exercise,
support group, and stress-management
- Increased telomerase, chromosomes that show how long we live.
- Optimal diet: low in unhealthful carbs (sugar + refined carbs), low in fats (saturated + trans
fats), low in red meat and processed foods. Instead, eat healthful carbs like fruits and veggies and
whole grains and fish
Calories count- fat is a lot of calories so eat less fat= eating less calories
- Just because something increases your metabolic rate doesn't mean it's good for you.
(Amphetamines also help people lose weight but they stress the body)
- A study showed that low carb- high protein diets are associated with increased risk of
cardiovascular diseases and promotes coronary artery disease
Make better food and eating choices will help improve and reduce the cost of healthcare.
Katz: Shrinking Plantet. What are Katzs criticisms of the Paleo diet? What is the
pastrami problem? The population problem? What are his recommendations for a
healthful diet?
Paleo, Pastrami, and Shrinking Planet: Having Mammoth, Eating it Too?
"Wholesome foods, in sensible combinations" allows for observed variations in animal food
intake, deemphasizes quantity because quality is better
Paleo: loads of species do best on their native diet (ie: pandas and lions). Metabolic harms (right,
but slim evidence). Most publications suggested benefits, not harms of the paleo diet related to
cancer and cardiovascular risk.
Two fundamental problems: The Pastrami problem and the Population Problem
Pastrami problem: many people use the paleo diet as an excuse to eat pastrami and
cheese. Pastrami is flattened, domesticated animals (nothing like the flesh of wild life).
People don't really seem to be sticking to it.
Population problem: There are so many people that if we hunted and gathered our way
across every square inch of the earth to find food, only 6.7% would avoid starvation.
Brings up the question if the paleo diet is truly better/worse for human health than an
optimal vegan or Mediterranean diet. Is Paleo really an option on a shrinking planet with
a growing population?
Paleo is about humans eating plants, and eating free-ranging animals that in turn ate plants. We're
not prepared for this incarceration of animals. We can't make animals and plants extinct (like
mammoths) because it'll bring our own demise.
Let's eat in a way that's optimal for human and planetary health. Don't focus on diets that create
mass extinction. Plant-based diet is the common interest.