This article has been reproduced with the permission of Access Education

The food we eat can be both a risk and protective factor for a range of diseases. A risk factor increases the likelihood of developing a disease or condition. Given that around 60% of deaths in Australia are diet related, it is clear that the food we eat is a significant risk factor. However, nutrition can also be a protective factor. Protective factors help guard or protect against disease or illness.

A well balanced diet can reduce the impact of some biomedical risk factors such as high blood pressure, and can help build a healthy immune system and maximise the opportunities for normal cell division.

Nutrition is a risk and protective factor for:

• Cardiovascular diseases – Includes heart disease, stroke and blood vessel disease. It is caused by a clogging or building up of atherosclerosis on the walls of the arteries and veins. It begins in the younger years and by middle age, the arteries become narrow. A blood clot can then cause a blockage to a major organ.

• Colo-rectal cancer – this is the uncontrolled growth (malignant) of cells on the inside of the large bowel or colon or in the rectum. Most develop from polyps that are tiny growths and take a long time to develop into cancer.

• Obesity – a level of body fat that contributes to a body mass index of more than 30. Being obese is a risk factor for many diseases.

• Type 2 diabetes – this is the world’s fastest growing disease and usually affects those over the age of 50, although of concern is the increasing incidence among young people. It is a condition where there is a reduction in insulin produced, or the insulin that is produced is unable to be used properly to control the level of sugar or glucose in the blood. This means the blood contains high levels of sugar that can affect the functioning of the brain and most vital organs.

• Iron and folate anaemia – iron is needed to make the haem component of haemoglobin or red blood cells. Inadequate iron leads to fewer red blood cells making it harder for oxygen to be carried to all body cells. It leads to fatigue, irritability, weakness and shortness of breath. Folate is also needed for the health of the blood. Lack of folate leads to larger than normal red blood cells that die quickly and therefore have to be replaced at a more rapid rate. This leads to folate anaemia. Folate is also needed for the development of DNA and if a deficiency occurs early in pregnancy, a baby may be born with spina bifida and suffers poor growth.

• Dental decay – caused by a build up of plaque and acid that forms on the teeth as a result of the action of the bacteria in the mouth. This can lead to holes in the enamel of the teeth and other gum diseases.

• Osteoporosis - ‘porous bones’. The bones comprise of a hard outer shell covering less dense tissue resembling honeycomb. When osteoporosis develops, the outer bone ‘shell’ becomes thin and weak, and the ‘honeycomb’ develops larger holes, weakening the bones. The bones lose their mineral density, break down in structure and become much more prone to fractures or breakages.

Diet related diseases do not only have consequences for an individual’s health status, but also place a huge cost on the individual and the community. These costs can be categorised as either direct costs or indirect costs.

• Direct costs are those expenses directly associated with diagnosis, treatment and care of a person suffering from the disease. They include the costs associated with seeing a doctor or other medical services such as specialists or hospital care, the costs of ambulance transport if needed, the cost of medication and rehabilitation costs.

• Indirect costs are secondary costs to the community as a result of a person suffering a diet related disease or dying prematurely. When a person is ill they may be unable to work contributing to a loss of productivity. A sufferer and their family may also experience reduced quality of life and a great deal of pain and suffering which are also examples of indirect costs. These costs are often more difficult to calculate than direct costs and can be referred to as intangible costs.

Due to the fact that nutrition contributes in some way to 60% of the major burdens of disease in Australia, it is not surprising that nutrition strategies form a large component of public health initiatives developed by all levels of government. Public health refers to activities that represent an organised response by society to protect and promote health to prevent illness, injury and disability. They are visible as health awareness and promotion campaigns and disease prevention services. They may focus on the whole population or on population groups.

A range of public health nutrition activities have been organised by both government and non-government organisations that aim to improve the nutrition status of all Australians by providing the knowledge and skills necessary to select a healthy balanced diet. As part of your studies in unit 3 you will study a range of these public health nutrition strategies.

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Author: Meredith Fettling [ Bachelor of teaching Secondary (Home Economics), Graduate Diploma in Health Education ] Learning and Teaching Development Manager, Bendigo Senior Secondary College.

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