ANC-1 Briefly explain the interrelation of food, health and nutrition.

ANC-1 Briefly explain the interrelation of food, health and nutrition.

IGNOU ANC-1 Solved Assignment 2018-2019 

Application Oriented Course in Nutrition for the Community

Assignment Code: ANC-1/AST-1/TMA-1/2018-19 

ANC-1 Solved Assignment Question 1

(a) Briefly explain the interrelation of food, health and nutrition.

Answer:

Food has been described as "anything which nourishes the body". Food has many specific functions. It provides energy, helps build the body, protects it against disease and regulates body processes. In addition, it helps to bring people together. It is also a means whereby emotions and feelings are expressed. Health as defined by WHO is the ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not the mere absence of disease or infirmity’. In other words, health is a state of complete well-being and not just the absence of disease. It has physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions. Nutrition is the term used for the scientific study of food and how it is utilized by the body. It also explores the influence of social, psychological and economic factors on our eating patterns.

Food, health and nutrition are intimately linked. Good health cannot be achieved without eating the proper kinds of foods in the amounts needed. Eating the proper kinds of food in the right amounts is essential to keep us healthy. If a person eats the right kind of foods in the required amounts, s/he will keep good health provided no other factors intervene. On the other hand, a poor eating pattern or eating too little or too much will result in poor health. So good health cannot be achieved without good food. Nutrition is one of the major factors influencing the health of an individual. Since food is the source of nutrients, selecting and consuming the right types of food in the right amounts becomes important. If the diet is poor, ill health will result because of deficiency or excess of one or more nutrients.

Also, good food is one of the crucial factors in ensuring the health, it is not the only one. The food eaten must not only be nutritious, but it must be wholesome and clean and free from harmful germs. If this is not so, the person eating the food would get ill even if the food is nutritious.