Unit 1

Introduction –

The 7 influences on dietary intake are-

• Education
• Lifestyle
• Dietary habits
• Health
• Socio-culture
• Social policy  
• Economic

Case study 1:

Ronnie is 78 years old and has just returned home after recovering from a stroke which has left him with a weakness down the right side of his body. He lives alone in a bungalow which is close to the local amenities and some close relatives. He prefers eating small meals as his appetite is not what it used to be.

In my opinion lifestyle links to Ronnie as he may not eat much at home as he may not be capable of preparing food due to how the stroke has left him. Also he may not be able to prepare food by himself because he lives alone and his wife may have recently died and she may have used to cook for the both of them. Due to him not being able to cook he may not be getting the right amounts of certain foods so he therefore may suffer from certain deficiencies (e.g. he could not be getting enough iron in his diet so therefore he could be anaemic). He may also become depressed as he lives on his own this may lead to weight gain which could cause type 2 diabetes. He may also loose the sense of smell due to him aging, his loss of smell may be the reason behind his loss of appetite that may lead to him losing weight.

In my opinion dietary habits links to Ronnie as he prefers smaller meals so therefore he may not be eating a balanced diet, this may leave him with nutritional deficiencies like vitamin c deficiency due to a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in his diet. The deficiencies may cause him to lose weight and also suffer from constipation due to the lack of fresh foods in his diet. Due to his diet being poor he may not be getting enough calories and may therefore suffer from deficiencies such as anaemia, this lack of calories may cause him to lose weight.  

In my opinion economic factors link to Ronnie as he may not have a lot of money due to him only having one pension to live off. So therefore his lack of money may result in him buying unhealthy food as it’s generally cheaper than fresh food. His unhealthy choice of food may result in him developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes. His unhealthy diet may higher his cholesterol and blood pressure. His lack of money may lead to depression, his depression may lead to him putting on weight or losing it. His unhealthy food choices may leave him with heart burn because of the amount of salt unhealthy foods generally contain. His lack of money may lead to depression as he may not even be able to afford food to feed himself.

In my opinion education links to Ronnie as he will receive dietary advice from the hospital, this will help him improve his diet. The hospital will recommend the foods he should eat to improve his health as a whole. This may help him maintain a healthy weight and help him to get the right nutrience in his diet. A healthy diet will mean he has lots of energy. Him having a balanced diet would reduce the chance of him developing heart problems. Because Ronnie is older he may not be aware of sell by dates on foods so he may be eating out of date foods that could potentially cause him to have food poisoning which could result in death.  

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