Food and health

Energy and nutrient requirements vary according to age, sex, body size and activity levels.

AGE: As a baby grows it needs increasing quantities of healthy food to help build its body. Adolescents and young adults have high energy and nutritional requirements.

MALE AND FEMALE: Men are usually bigger than women as a consequence they tend to need more energy than females do.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: People who take lots of exercise or have physically demanding jobs have greater energy needs than those whose life style is less active.

ENERGY BALANCE: if more food than needed is eaten, the excess energy is stored as fat. If less energy than needed is obtained weight loss occurs. To maintain a constant weight, there must be a balance between the energy taken in as the energy used up during activity.

Mario De Martino

• torna all’indice della tesina interdisciplinare La società contemporanea di Mario De Martino – a.s. 2006/2007 – Istituto Professionale di Stato per i Servizi Commerciali e Turistici & Alberghieri Aldo Moro”