Unit 1
Overview of Nutrition; Assessment of Nutritional Status

The human body is constantly undergoing changes that are governed by genetics and are highly dependent on the availability of nutrients. In this unit, we will take an overview of nutrition by defining the terms nutrition and nutrient, and by identifying the major classes of nutrients. We will also examine some of the factors that influence our food intake. Eating too little or too much can create an imbalance of nutrients and result in nutritional problems. We will also discuss different techniques for assessing nutritional status.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. define nutrition.
2. discuss the nature of nutrients.
3. describe four methods of assessing nutritional status.
4. describe and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of four methods of diet information collection for nutritional analysis of individuals or groups of people.
5. explain the uses and limitations of food composition databases.