OPEN UNIVERSITY ISCED

Department of Education Sciences

Biology Teaching Degree Course

Health and Nutrition

Irene Xavier B. Safrão – 41220184

Xai – Xai, May 2022

 OPEN UNIVERSITY ISCED

Department of Education Sciences

Biology Teaching Degree Course

Health and Nutrition

Field work to be submitted at the

Coordination of the Licentiate Degree in
Biology Teaching Course at ISCED.

Tutor: Msc: Piotr Gebala

Irene Xavier B. Safrão – 41220184

Xai – Xai, May 2022

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 Contentes
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1

1.1. Objectives ............................................................................................................................. 1

1.1.1. General Objective ............................................................................................................. 1

1.1.2. Specific Adjective ............................................................................................................. 1

1.2. Methodology......................................................................................................................... 1

2.1.1. Types of Health ................................................................................................................. 2

2.1.2. Physical health .................................................................................................................. 2

2.1.3. Mental health .................................................................................................................... 3

2.1.4. Factors for good health ..................................................................................................... 3

2.2. Nutrition ............................................................................................................................... 4

2.2.1. The Healthy Eating Food .................................................................................................. 5

3. Conclusion................................................................................................................................ 6

4. Reference .................................................................................................................................. 7

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 1. Introduction

Without adequate nutrition the human body does not function optimally, and severe nutritional
inadequacy can lead to disease and even death. It can also affect significantly a person's student
life by contributing to poor school performance. The food we eat affects all aspects of our health.
Good nutrition provides a mechanism to promote health and prevent disease.

This paper describe health and nutrition.

1.1.Objectives

1.1.1. General Objective

 Describe health and nutrition

1.1.2. Specific Adjective

 Define health and nutrition,

 Identify the types of health,
 Identify the types of nutrients
 Describe nutrition

1.2.Methodology

This work focused on bibliography research which consisted on requiring information gathered
from published materials such as books, magazines, journals, magazines website, blogs
bibliographic databases and online resources.

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 2. Health and Nutrition

2.1.Health

According to world health organization Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. In 1985 WHO made another
clarification a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept
emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. This means that health
is a resource to support an individual’s function in wider society, rather than an end in itself. A
healthful lifestyle provides the means to lead a full life with meaning and purpose. Regular exercise
contributes to good health.

In 2009, researchers publishing in The Lancet Trusted Source defined health as the ability of a
body to adapt to new threats and infirmities. They base this definition on the idea that the past few
decades have seen modern science take significant strides in the awareness of diseases by
understanding how they work, discovering new ways to slow or stop them, and acknowledging that
an absence of pathology may not be possible.

2.1.1. Types of Health

Mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and financial health.

People with better financial health, for example, may worry less about finances and have the means
to buy fresh food more regularly. Those with good spiritual health may feel a sense of calm and
purpose that fuels good mental health.

2.1.2. Physical health

A person who has good physical health is likely to have bodily functions and processes working at
their peak. This is not only due not only to an absence of disease. Regular exercise, balanced
nutrition, and adequate rest all contribute to good health. People receive medical treatment to
maintain the balance, when necessary.

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Physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease.
Maintaining physical fitness, for example, can protect and develop the endurance of a person’s
breathing and heart function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.

2.1.3. Mental health

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,Trusted Source mental health
refers to a person’s emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Mental health is as important
as physical health as part of a full, active lifestyle. Good mental health is not only categorized by
the absence of depression, anxiety, or another disorder. It also depends on a person’s ability to:
enjoy life, bounce back after difficult experiences and adapt to adversity, balance different elements
of life, such as family and finances, feel safe and secure, achieve their full potential. Physical and
mental health have strong connections..

2.1.4. Factors for good health

Good health depends on a wide range of factors; the factors above may have a more sigficant
impact on health:

 Genetic factors (people may inherit genes from their parents that increase their risk for
certain health conditions);

 Environmental factors (the environment alone is enough to impact health. Other times, an
environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who has an increased genetic risk of a
particular disease.);

 Socioeconomic (people with low socioeconomic status are more likely to experience stress
due to daily living, such as financial difficulties, marital disruption, and unemployment);

 Social (social factors may also impact on the risk of poor health for people with lower
socioeconomic status, such as marginalization and discrimination, a part from that they are
more likely to experience stress due to daily living, such as financial difficulties, marital
disruption, and unemployment.);

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  Cultural (he traditions and customs of a society and a family’s response to them can have a
good or bad impact on health.)

2.2.Nutrition

The word nutrition first appeared in1551 and comes from the Latin word nutrire, meaning to
nourish. Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses them and the relationship
between diet, health and disease. Nutrition only focuses on how people can use dietary choices to
reduce the risk of disease, what happens if a person has too much or little nutrient, and allergy work.

Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients from food that is necessary to
support human life and good health. In humans, poor nutrition can cause deficiency-related
diseases such as blindness, anemia, scurvy, preterm birth, stillbirth and cretinism or nutrient excess
health-threatening conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome and such common chronic
systemic diseases as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Under nutrition can lead to
wasting in acute cases, and stunting of marasmus in chronic cases of malnutrition.

Mozambique is one of the countries with higher rates of malnutrition specifically in the north and
central of the country caused by poor diets damaging children's health worldwide. Many are the
organizations supporting financially, and promote nutrition programs in order to overcome this
situation. However the results are still far from what is expected.

Nutrients provide nourishment. Protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water are
all nutrients. If people do not have the right balance of nutrients in their diet, their risk of developing
a certain health conditions increases.

Nutrients are divided into two types:

 Macronutrients are nutrients that people need in relatively large quantities. Those are:
carbohydrates) sugar, starch and fiber), proteins, fats, water.

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  Micronutrients are essential in small amounts. They include vitamins and minerals (the
body needs carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, iron, potassium to enable the kidneys, the heart,
the muscles and the nerves to work properly, sodium to maintain nerve and muscles
function, calcium to form bones nd teeeth, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, manganese to
produce energy, copper to produce connective tissues and blood vessels, selenium to
prevent cell damage).

2.2.1. The Healthy Eating Food

Balanced diet is a key to stay healthy. Follow the "Healthy Eating Food Pyramid" guide as you
pick your food. Grains should be taken as the major dietary source. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
Have a moderate amount of meat, fish, egg, milk and their alternatives. Reduce salt, fat/ oil and
sugar. Trim fat from meat before cooking. Choose low-fat cooking methods such as steaming,
stewing, simmering, boiling, scalding or cooking with non-stick frying pans. Also reduce the use
of frying and deep-frying. Drink adequate amount of fluid (including water, tea, clear soup, etc)
every day, practice exercises. These can help us achieve balanced diet and promote health.

To stay healthy is advisable to eat different kinds of food following those advices:

 Eat the Right Food

Since different foods have different nutritional values, it is not possible to obtain all the nutrients
we need from a single food. According to the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid, we have to eat a
variety of foods among all food groups as well as within each group in order to get different
nutrients and meet our daily needs.

 Eat the Right Amount

Neither eating too much nor too little is good for our health. Every day, we need a specific amount
of nutrients to maintain optimal health. If we do not eat enough, under-nutrition and symptoms of
deficiency are likely to develop; while over-nutrition and obesity can be resulted when we consume
an excessive amount of any type of food. Therefore, we have to eat right amount of food to stay
healthy.

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 3. Conclusion

Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant,
child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of
non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity. Healthy
children learn better. People with adequate nutrition are more productive and can create
opportunities to gradually break the cycles of poverty and hunger.

World Health Organization is providing scientific advice and decision, making tools that can help
countries to take action to address all forms of malnutrition to support health and wellbeing for all,
at all ages.

Mozambique is one of the countries with higher rates of malnutrition specifically in the north and
central of the country caused by poor diets damaging children's health worldwide. Many are the
organizations supporting those Childs in order to overcome this situation. The results are still far
from the expectations.

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 4. References

Callahan, D. (1973). The concepts of health, the hasting center

Noack H. (1994). Concepts of health and health promotion. copenhagfen:who regional Office
Europe.

World health Organization, Global conferences on health promotion-Charters, declarations and

other documments: Ottawa1986, Sndsvall1991, Jakarta 1997, Mexico 2000, and bangkong 2005.
Available at: http/www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/en.