Sci241

Nutrition and Exercise Case Study Susan Creed SCI241 Crystal Bedenbaugh November 13, 2011 Axia College of University of Phoenix Diet and exercise are crucial necessities in life and while it is always important to remember that, it is also important to recognize when one has fallen off a healthy track. The best gift that can be given is help as some do not realize that help is needed. This is where friends, family, and medical professionals come in. Mitch is a 67 year old male who is 35 pounds overweight and has stopped all physical activity he enjoyed only three years ago. He eats a lot of processed foods and breads. He smokes and drinks alcohol and there is a family history of diabetes. It is clear that Mitch needs help. Mitch is in dire need of some help as soon as possible. If he continues on the path he is currently on, there are a number of health risks that he could face. The most worrisome risk is diabetes because not only is there a family history but lack of exercise, weight gain, and a poor diet are contributing factors for diabetes. Diabetes also increases the chances of heart disease; therefore, the issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. Mitch’s eating habits and lack of physical activity is alarming and there needs to be a change somewhere. At his age, Mitch’s metabolism is slowing down and this means he needs to eat less and exercise more to maintain a healthy weight. Because Mitch is considered overweight, he may have to do a little extra physical activity and dieting to reach an appropriate weight for his height and age. Mitch also needs to consider quitting smoking and limiting the amount of alcohol he consumes. While quitting smoking could possibly make weight loss harder, the benefits outweigh the possible hard work Mitch will have to endure. If Mitch were to continue on his current path, he is already a very good candidate for diabetes and possible heart disease. Cigarette smoking increases the odds of heart disease and heart attacks (WebMD, 2011). Alcohol is contributed with heart problems and high blood pressure as well (WebMD, 20110). Mitch has his weight, his eating habits, his lack of physical activity, his smoking, and his alcohol consumption all pointing to heart disease and other heart problems. Something needs to change drastically and soon. At Mitch’s current weight with his height, his BMI is 27.9 which is in the middle of the overweight range (AICR, 2011). His diet consists of mostly processed foods, bread, and excessive fats. According to the USDA (2011), Mitch is not getting an adequate amount of vegetables, fruits, or dairy and he is getting too much meat and grains. His fat, sodium, and cholesterol intakes are all above the recommended amount. The recommended amounts of grains for Mitch is 7ounces daily and the recommended amount of meat and beans is 6 ounces daily. Two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables are recommended daily as well as three cups of dairy per day. Fats and oils should be consumed on a very limited basis. As well as trying to stay within the limits of these recommendations, Mitch should have a daily goal of approximately 2400 calories (USDA, 2011). There are healthier alternatives to all of Mitch’s favorite foods and he needs to realize the importance of every food group and what it will do for him. Grains help reduce the risk of heart disease, help with weight management, and are the source for many nutrients (USDA, 2011). Fruits and vegetables that include fiber can help reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fruits and vegetables also protect against certain cancers, heart attacks, and strokes. Dairy has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. Dairy can also reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Proteins contain many vital nutrients, such as Iron, which is used to carry oxygen in the blood, and Vitamin B, which is associated with energy (USDA, 2011). As far as exercise goes, because Mitch has not been physically active in approximately three years, it is crucial for him to start slowly. If Mitch were to start walking with friends again for about 30 minutes per day, he would start to notice a difference in the way he feels. In reality, if Mitch were to restart his activity level from three years ago, he would be getting adequate exercise per day. Physical activity increases life longevity, makes sleeping easier, and helps one to feel better about himself. It also decreases the odds for depression, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and high cholesterol. Aerobic activities, such as swimming, can help one breathe easier and this could be important when considering Mitch’s age (USDA, 2011). Maintaining an appropriate amount of physical activity could help Mitch eat better as well because he will start to feel better, physically and mentally. Nutritionally, Mitch should strive to eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables as well as limiting his grains and meat intake to the recommended amounts. He should also try to stay within his calorie amount. As he starts to lose weight, his daily amount of calories may change and he needs to be aware of that and try to stay within that recommendation. Physically, Mitch should strive to walk three to five days a week to start and work his way up to walking six to seven days a week for at least thirty minutes. He should also strive to go out and have fun with his friends again. Bowling is an excellent form of physical activity and as an added bonus Mitch will be able to spend some time with friends. As with all goals and guidelines, there are chances for setbacks. Setbacks do not have to be the end of a good thing. There is leeway with this plan. If Mitch is successful in his dietary goals for a week and he decides to eat a piece of chocolate cake, there is not an issue with that. Assuming Mitch stops at one piece of cake, his exercise levels should cover that extra few calories. If the weather is bad outside and Mitch cannot go out for his daily walk, he would need to make an alternate plan such as going to the gym to walk on a treadmill, doing some light exercise around the house, or possibly a workout video appropriate for his age. The thing to remember is that no one is perfect and results may not be immediate, but Mitch will start to feel better and possibly even want to go hang out with his friends again. It is easy for someone of Mitch’s age to become depressed due to lack of conversation and friends. WebMD (2011) recommends an overall loss of 1-2 lbs per week to stay within safe guidelines. A loss of 4-8 lbs a month would be a good indicator of success. Another indicator would be the desire to go out and do things again. It seems as if Mitch has lost all desire to hang out with his friends and maintain his physical health, causing his eating to get out of control. It is a vicious cycle that ends up making one not want to do much. Once Mitch gets into a schedule again, he will probably feel much better about himself and have the desires to do the things he used to do. If Mitch does not lose the extra 35 lbs he accumulated in the past three years as well as correcting his bad eating habits, Mitch is very likely to become diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the very near future. His own father died at 71 with a history of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is best described as high levels of sugar in the blood. High blood sugar can harm the organs and increases the risk of heart disease (Diabetes, 2011). Regular physical activity can lower the blood sugar in the blood by decreasing insulin resistance as well reducing the odds for heart disease and high blood pressure (Diabetes, 2011). If we consider these conditions paired with the long term smoking and drinking, the odds are against Mitch. Mitch needs to change these things immediately. There are so many things that can hinder a person but weight and eating habits do not have to be one of them. It is not always easy to start and results are not always as fast as one would like, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle is extremely beneficial. Not only does it make the physical appearance desirable, it also reduces the odds for major health problems. Diabetes and heart disease are just two of many health problems associated with being overweight and eating the wrong foods. There are far more good things than bad when the topic of discussion is ones health and ways to improve it. 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