NUTRITION AND DIET THERAPY

Chapter 3 : DIETARY COMPUTATIONS

Introduction
Key nutrients in the food we eat sustain life and promote health. This tremendous result is
possible because of the body’s unique use of these nutrients to provide three essential life and
health needs, these three basic life and health nutrient functions are closely related- no one nutrient
ever works alone.
Learning Outcome
Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Classify foods into groups according to their nutrients and differentiate between
macronutrients and micronutrients.
2. List the sources and functions of the nutrients.
3. Describe vitamins and their classification.
4. Explain the functions of the common minerals that people require in their diet
5. Identify a balance diet for people in your community

Learning Content

METABOLISM- is the sum of all chemical changes that takes place in the body by which it
maintains itself and produces energy for its functioning.
BASAL METABOLISM- is the amount of energy required by an individual in the resting state,
for such function as breating and circulation.
BASAL METABOLIC RATE- the minimum caloric requirement needed to sustain life in a
resting individual. It can be looked at as being the amount of energy (measured in calories)
expended by the body to remain in bed asleep all day.

Factors that affect the BMR

1. Genetics. Some people are born with faster metabolism: some with slower metabolism.
2. Gender. Men have a greater muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage. This means they
have higher basal metabolic rate.
3. Age. -BMR reduce with age. After 20 years, it drops 2 %, per decade.

BEVERLY D. TAGUINOD, MSN 15

 4. Weight- the heavier your weight, the higher your BMR. Example the metabolic rate of
obese is 25 percent higher than the metabolic rate of thin women.
5. Body Surface Area. This is a reflection of your height and weight. The greater your body
surface area factor the higher you’re BMR. Tall thin peoples have higher BMRs. If you
compare a tall person with short person of equal weight, then if they both follow a diet
calorie- controlled to maintain the weight of the taller person, the shorter person may gain
15 pounds in a year.
6. Body Fat Percentage. Is the total mass of fat divided by total body mass, multiplied by
100; body fat includes essential body fat and storage body fat. Essential body fat is
necessary to maintain life and reproductive functions. The percentage of essential body fat
for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other
hormonal functions. Storage body fat consists of fat accumulation in adipose tissue, part of
which protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen. The lower your body fat
percentage, the higher your BMR. The lower body fat percentage in the male body is one
of the reasons why generally have a 10-15 % faster BMR than women.
7. Diet. Starvation or serious abrupt calorie- reduction can dramatically reduce BMR by up
to 30percent. Restrictive low calorie weight loss diets may cause your BMR to drop as
much as 20 %
8. Sleep. BMR falls 10-15 % below waking hours.
9. Endocrine Gland. Male sex hormones increase the BMR 10-15 %.
10. Fever. Increase 7 % for each degree rise the body temperature above 37 ˚ C

COMPUTATIONS:

1. BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)- the amount of energy needed by the body for
maintenance of life when the person is at digestive, physical, and emotional rest.

• Formula:
BMR= Wt. in lbs. X 10.9 (male)
X 9.8 ( female)

Example: 125 lbs. x 9.8 = 1,225 cal

2. BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)- is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
An attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone) in an
individual, and then categorize that person as underweight, normal weight, overweight,
or obese based on that value.

• Formula:
BMI= weight in (kg)
(Height in meter)

BEVERLY D. TAGUINOD, MSN 16

 a. Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
b. Normal weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
c. Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9
d. Obese: BMI is 30 or more

Example:

BMI= weight in (kg) = 47 kg = 20.25 = 20kg/m2 (normal)

(Height in meter) 2 (1.524) (1.524) 2.32

3. DESIRABLE BODY WEIGHT- is a general term for a person’s optimal weight for a
particular height

• Formula:

DBW/IBW= (Ht. in cm-100) – 10 %

Example:

5’3 = (63inches x 2.54cm) = (160.02- 100) = (60.02-6.002) = 54kg

4. TOTAL ENERGY REQUIREMENT- is the amount of food energy needed to balance

energy expenditure in order to maintain body size, body composition and a level of
necessary and desirable physical activity consistent with long-term good health.

• Formula:

TER= DBW x activity level

Example:
5’8” student =54 x 35 =1890 cal.

HEIGHT WEIGHT

1ft.=12 inches 1kg = 2.2 lbs

1 inch = 2.54 cm
100cm = 1meter

BEVERLY D. TAGUINOD, MSN 17

 Activity level

Bed rest= 27.5 (hospital patient)

Sedentary= 30 (secretary, clerk, typist, administrator, cashier, bank teller)
Light = 35 (teacher nurse, student, Lab. tech, house wife with wife)
Moderate = 40 (housewife without maid, vendor, mechanic, jeepney driver,)
Heavy = 45 (farmer, labourer, cargador, coal miner, fisherman, heavy equipment
operator.)

Teaching and Learning Activities

1. Give data for computation of:
➢ BMI
➢ DBW/IBW
➢ TER
Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary reading.
Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy by Sue Rodwell Williams.

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted

I. Zoom Meeting
II. TelEDUCATION
III. Facebook/messenger

Assessment Task
I. Problem Solving

1. The client wants to know if he is obese or overweight. He is 6’ tall and weighs

275 lbs. what is this client’s Body Mass Index (BMI).

2. Compute for the Desirable Body Weight of a client that stands 5’10” tall.

3. Compute for the TER of the following:

BEVERLY D. TAGUINOD, MSN 18

 a. 5’7 tall heavy equipment driver
b. 6’0” tall medical doctor
c. 4’11” tall student

References :
a) Books
Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy by Sue Rodwell Williams.
b) Online
https://dtc.ucsf.edu/pdfs/FoodLists.pdf
https://www.slideshare.net/anasomoray/basic-nutrition-pdf-13801006
https://www.slideshare.net/jkonoroth/321-models-of-health

BEVERLY D. TAGUINOD, MSN 19