Describe Similarities And Differences In The Nutritional And Energy Requirements Of Different Population Groups
The similarities and differences in the nutritional and energy requirements of different population groups
This report will compare the difference in nutritional and energy requirements of that of Children and Elderly people; exploring what levels of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and proteins they both need.
Children
Carbohydrates are the bodies’ main source of energy. As a child is growing, they are very busy; always on the move, playing and learning new things. Therefore they will need a large part of their diet to consist of carbohydrates to keep them going through the day to ensure normal growth, both physically and mentally. However, not all carbohydrates are good as (like anything) over-indulging will cause weight gain which
may result in obesity, leading to problems later on in life such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer such as breast or bowel cancer, and strokes. Because of this, children should eat more complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates as simple carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and they don’t supply large doses of essential nutrients into the body. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates supply key nutrients such as fibre, protein, calcium and iron, and also reduce the risk of weight gain and heart disease.
Children should be stocking up on fat-soluble vitamins, preparing for growth spurts, especially when reaching adolescence. During this period of life, extra energy is required for both growth and physical activity so a child’s diet should be made up of foods that supply nutrients instead of just empty calories.
Elderly
Elderly people however are less active and therefore do not require as many carbohydrates as they would’ve done earlier on in life. Depending on their activity level, they may have reduced needs for energy and protein by 25-30% or maybe more if they lead more of a sedentary lifestyle. However this could result in them eating less in general because they don’t need to keep energised and therefore they may not be getting enough of other key nutrients in their diets and could benefit from taking supplements. For example, they may not be getting enough vitamin C from fresh fruits and vegetables and may benefit from taking vitamin C supplements. Elderly people are more at risk of osteoporosis and so benefit from supplementation of calcium and vitamin D.
Thinning of the bones is common for women who are going through or have gone through menopause because of hormone related changes. Eating foods rich in calcium is recommended because of its properties with bone growth. However, they may not get enough calcium in their diet due to eating a lesser quantity of food as aforementioned, and therefore will benefit from taking supplements. Also, a high-fibre diet has been proven to reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes.
Conclusion
There aren’t many similarities between the dietary requirements of children and elderly people as children are growing and always on the move and require lots of food that gives them energy and elderly people are at the point in their lives when their energy requirement is at its lowest. However, because they’re both on the opposite ends of the spectrum, there are a few similarities. For example, children’s bones are growing and elderly people’s bones are thinning therefore they will both need enough calcium in their diets to help remedy this. Another similarity is how they should both eat healthier foods; fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates etc. because children are picky about what foods they eat and may over-indulge in fatty foods, and elderly people may not get enough exercise so both population groups are at risk of becoming over-weight.
Save of a select few similarities, these population groups are very different in their dietary needs.
This report will compare the difference in nutritional and energy requirements of that of Children and Elderly people; exploring what levels of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and proteins they both need.
Children
Carbohydrates are the bodies’ main source of energy. As a child is growing, they are very busy; always on the move, playing and learning new things. Therefore they will need a large part of their diet to consist of carbohydrates to keep them going through the day to ensure normal growth, both physically and mentally. However, not all carbohydrates are good as (like anything) over-indulging will cause weight gain which
may result in obesity, leading to problems later on in life such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer such as breast or bowel cancer, and strokes. Because of this, children should eat more complex carbohydrates than simple carbohydrates as simple carbohydrates cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and they don’t supply large doses of essential nutrients into the body. Diets rich in complex carbohydrates supply key nutrients such as fibre, protein, calcium and iron, and also reduce the risk of weight gain and heart disease.
Children should be stocking up on fat-soluble vitamins, preparing for growth spurts, especially when reaching adolescence. During this period of life, extra energy is required for both growth and physical activity so a child’s diet should be made up of foods that supply nutrients instead of just empty calories.
Elderly
Elderly people however are less active and therefore do not require as many carbohydrates as they would’ve done earlier on in life. Depending on their activity level, they may have reduced needs for energy and protein by 25-30% or maybe more if they lead more of a sedentary lifestyle. However this could result in them eating less in general because they don’t need to keep energised and therefore they may not be getting enough of other key nutrients in their diets and could benefit from taking supplements. For example, they may not be getting enough vitamin C from fresh fruits and vegetables and may benefit from taking vitamin C supplements. Elderly people are more at risk of osteoporosis and so benefit from supplementation of calcium and vitamin D.
Thinning of the bones is common for women who are going through or have gone through menopause because of hormone related changes. Eating foods rich in calcium is recommended because of its properties with bone growth. However, they may not get enough calcium in their diet due to eating a lesser quantity of food as aforementioned, and therefore will benefit from taking supplements. Also, a high-fibre diet has been proven to reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes.
Conclusion
There aren’t many similarities between the dietary requirements of children and elderly people as children are growing and always on the move and require lots of food that gives them energy and elderly people are at the point in their lives when their energy requirement is at its lowest. However, because they’re both on the opposite ends of the spectrum, there are a few similarities. For example, children’s bones are growing and elderly people’s bones are thinning therefore they will both need enough calcium in their diets to help remedy this. Another similarity is how they should both eat healthier foods; fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates etc. because children are picky about what foods they eat and may over-indulge in fatty foods, and elderly people may not get enough exercise so both population groups are at risk of becoming over-weight.
Save of a select few similarities, these population groups are very different in their dietary needs.