Nutrition is the selection of foods and preparation of foods, and their ingestion to be assimilated by the body.
According to the American Medical Association’s Council on Food and Nutrition which reads, “The science of food, the nutrients and other substances therein, their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease and the processes by which the organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes and excretes food substances.”
Public health
Public Health is defined as “the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts of society”
Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.
Relation between the nutrition and public health science
The majority of one's health is determined by their eating habits and the foods and beverages they consume. We must realize that both the quality and amount of food we consume have an impact on our health.
Apart from combatting poverty and social injustice, adequate nutrition helps to reduce the burden of food-borne illnesses and malnutrition.
Good, adequate and balanced nutrition impact on;
- Preventing diseases
- Promoting heath
- Prolonging life
Preventing diseases :
It is beneficial to one's health to eat a well-balanced diet. It has an impact on human health in a direct way. We can prevent illnesses caused by either a lack of nutrition or an excess of nutrition by improving our nutrition. Protein energy malnutrition and other undernutrition affect many children in underdeveloped countries, whereas obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and other NCDS affect adults in developed countries.
Many forms of nutritional disorders can be avoided if we eat a well-balanced, healthy, and balanced diet.
Promoting health:
Individual health is a dynamic process, not a static one. A condition of health is coming to a close, while another is just getting started. Nutrition plays a significant influence across the health spectrum. Our health will deteriorate if we do not get adequate nourishment. If the body's diet is balanced, it may also boost health from poor to high.
Prolonging life :
Life expectancy increases when we are free of any physical, mental, social, emotional, religious, or socioeconomic problems. As a result, nutrition is always supportive of life extension. Health is meaningless without food and nutrients.
People must be know about :
- Food selection and preparation
- Know about the quality and quantity of food and nutrition
- Eating habit
- Food hygiene
- Balanced diet
- other