NUTRITIONAL
REQUIREMENT FOR EXPECTANT AND LACTATING MOTHERS, CHILDREN, ELDERS AND
SENTANTARY WORKERS AND SICK PEOPLE
Nutritional
requirement differ for the different groups of people, the ratio of nutrients
various depending on the sex, age, health and the amount of the activities or
state of the body, the following are some groups of people and their special
nutritional needs
EXPECTANT AND LACTATING
MOTHER
Expectant
and lactating mothers (breastfeeding) need to get enough nutrients, they should
eat a balance diet because they require nutrients for themselves and
the growing foetus or babies
PROTEIN is needed for the buildup of the
mother’s muscles, breasts, uterus, bloody supply and the baby’s or foetus’
tissues and organs
FOLIC ACID and VITAMIN
B help to lower the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida,
spina bifida is a spinal disorder characterized by a hole in the spine, it
results from incomplete formation of the spinal cord and the bones of the
spines, often the spine protrudes through the hole and sometimes a fluid filled
sac may surround the protruding spinal cord,
CALSIUM help in the development of the
foetus’ or baby’s bones, if the mother’s diet does not contain adequate
calcium, it is derived from her bones for the foetus or baby, this weakens the
mother’s bones
ZINC is important for the proper
progression of labour and proper growth and development of the baby, the mother
to be require iron for her blood supply needs, the foetus also needs to store
iron for use during the first few months after birth
Expectant
mother requires adequate amounts of dietary FIBRE to reduce the
likelihood of constipation, which is a common complaint during pregnancy, also
expected mother need to drink plenty of water, water is a major constituent of
breast milk, in addition, some hormones produced during breastfeeding increase
thirst
CHILDREN
Young
children are still growing and they are generally more active than adults,
their diet needs to provide them with adequate nutrients to ensure growth and
enough energy to learn and play
PROTEIN is required by the children for the
growth and development of the body tissues, inadequate supplies of protein can
lead to stunted growth generally like calcium is necessary for the formation of
strong bones and teeth
ZINC is important for body growth, zinc
resources in the body can be depleted by vigorous physical exercise
VITAMIN B12 is required for the formation of red
blood cells because a growing body needs more oxygen and more blood) and for
growth while VITAMIN C help children to build their immunity
Children
also require MORE ENERGY giving foods because they are more active
than adults
ELDERLY
Elderly
people require less energy giving foods because they are generally less active
than young people, nevertheless they still require adequate amount of vitamins
and minerals to maintain their health. Old people require adequate amount of
calcium and vitamin D to counter the loss
The
elderly often has problems of chewing tough food because of weakened teeth and
swallowing because of the decreased production of saliva, it is therefore
important to ensure that they get foods that are nutritious as well as easy to
chew and swallow for example they can get protein from eggs or liver instead
of meat
They
also need mineral such as iron, zinc and calcium. Iron is necessary
because anemia is frequent problem in old age, zinc is required for a healthy
immune system and to increase the rate of healing of wounds
SEDENTARY WORKERS
There
are individuals who stay in one place for a long time while performing their
daily occupation activities, they include tailors, weavers, clerks,
receptionist and doctors. Sedentary workers are encouraged to balance their
diets with physical exercise, due to their lifestyle and occupation, obesity is
increasingly common among them, therefore it is recommended that they limit
their intake of foods rich in lipids
THE SICK
Sick
people require plenty of nutrients to help recover their health, those who
have incurable diseases such as HIV and AIDS should get food that will help
them to manage their conditions
Proper
nutrition helps to keep their immune system strong and helps the body to fight
opportunistic infections and diseases
Rapid
weight loss is a major problem in the late stages of AIDS. It is therefore
important to get enough nutrients so that the body can compensate for this
Proper
nutrition helps the body to withstand heavy medication
Proper
diet and exercise helps to combat symptoms such as fatigue, nausea,
diarrhea and high blood sugar
Excess
caffeine, sugar, fried foods, spicy foods and alcohol should be avoided
because they are harmful to a body whose immune system is already weak
They
need to take plenty of fruits and water; fruits provide vitamins which are
required to fight diseases water replaces the amount lost through diarrhea or
vomiting