There are a number of
good habits we should practice in order to stay healthy. These are essential
for the good health of every person, be they young or old, regardless of race.
The first area is
nutrition. What it means is that we should eat a well-balanced diet. We are
familiar with the diagram of the food pyramid. Every now and then the divisions
within the pyramid change because nutritionists come up with new theories of
what is best. Basically nutritionists agree that we need to eat carbohydrates
to give us energy. Carbohydrates are foods such as bread, potatoes and rice.
Carbohydrates keep us warm and supply us with the energy we need to keep us
alive, to move about and to work.
Food such as meat and
fish also gives us the nutrients necessary for growth and for the repair of
worn tissue. It follows then that children and growing teenagers need more food
than older people. There is some truth in this. Food supplies us with vitamins,
minerals and other substances that are necessary for the chemical processes
that take place in our body.
The question of the
amount of food we need is also often under investigation. Most nutritionists
agree that the amount of food we need depends on the amount of energy we need
for our day to day living and also for the kind of work we do. For normal day
to day living, a person who weighs about 64 kg needs about 2400 calories.
Two-thirds of this energy is used to maintain normal body temperature, muscle
tone and to keep internal organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys
functioning properly. The remaining calories are needed for other functions
such as eating, walking, working and playing.
The amount of work a
person does also determines the amount of food he eats. A person who does heavy
manual work such as a farmer or a construction worker uses up more calories,
and therefore needs more food. We are impressed and sometimes amused by the
amount of rice that a manual worker can consume and yet remain trim. On the
other hand, an office worker may appear to eat a modest amount of rice and
vegetables and yet appear overweight. The fact is the office worker probably
only needs about 2200 calories. When we consume more calories than we need
regularly, we end up fat and unhealthy. It is thus easy to understand why
people in affluent countries, like the USA and Germany, are often fat and
unhealthy. Unfortunately, obesity and its negative consequences are problems in
societies where there is plenty of food.
It is true that in
their teens, children go through a growth spurt so they do need extra food.
Teenagers are often hungry and this could be the body's way of signaling for
food. There is a tendency for teenagers to go for instant gratification in the
form of comfort foods such as burgers and hot dogs. Some may go for Asian
treats such as nasi lemak and the usual accompaniments or a plate of
oily fried noodles.
It is not a crime to
indulge occasionally in one's favorite foods even though they are unhealthy
choices. However, it is important that growing teenagers eat a balanced diet
that consists of a variety of foods that include fish, meat and eggs, fresh
vegetables and fruit and boiled rice and potatoes.
Summary: To stay healthy, we
have to eat a well-balanced diet. We need carbohydrates for energy and body
heat. We need protein to help in growth and repair of tissues. It is true that
growing adults need more food. The optimal amount depends on the work we do. An
average working adult probably needs about 2400 calories a day. However, when
we consume more than what we need, we end up overweight. Obesity is a clear
mark of an affluent society. It is thus a health problem in rich societies.
Growing teenagers do need extra food for growth but unfortunately many
teenagers indulge in comfort foods such as hot dogs and burgers. For health, it
is best to maintain a balanced diet of proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates.
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