Biology 1A- Unit 1 core: Diet and Health

Biology 1A- Unit 1 core: Diet and Health

1. A balanced diet should contain all the energy that you need but not more. The list of what each food group does is in the notes tab.

   • Carbohydrates; needed to release energy.
   • Protein; used for cell repair, replacement and growth
   • Fats; to keep you warm and for energy release
   • Fibre; to keep the digestive system flowing and running smoothly
   • Vitamins and Minerals; used to keep everything in general health

2. Metabolic rate; is a range of chemical reactions which take place in the body. For these to take place they need to be in an watery environment

   • energy and a watery environment is imperative in order for these reactions to be fuelled
   • There are some variations in the resting metabolic reaction of some people
     • Muscle needs more energy than fatty tissue, which means people with a higher proportion of muscle to fat will have a higher metabolic rate
   • Men tend to have a higher metabolic rate compared to women

3. Factors which affect Health

   • People whom have badly out of balanced diets are seen or known as people who are malnourished
   • Eating too much can lead to obesity
     • Excess carbs or fat in the diet can lead to obesity
     • Hormonal problems can lead to obesity, however the usual case is a bad diet, overeating or lack of exercise
     • Health problems such as arthritis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems can cause obesity
     • Regular Exercise
       • People who exercise regularly are generally healthier than those who don't
       • Exercise increases the amount of energy used by the body and decreases the amount stored as fat. It also builds muscle which helps increase metabolic rate
   • Eating too little can also cause problems
     • The effects of malnutrition vary depending on what foods are missing from the diet
     • Deficiency diseases can cause problems e.g. lack of vitamin C results in scurvy
   • Other Health problems...
     • Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase blood cholesterol level
     • Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and heart problems
   • Inherited factors can affect your health too
     • Some people can inherit a good or bad metabolic rate
     • Affect values of blood cholesterol levels