Fundamental Conditions for Good Nutritional Status.

Gibney et al (2002) stated that good nutritional status helps us maintain all important body functions so that we can grow and develop properly and lead healthy, active lives.Nutritional status is the condition of the body resulting from the nutrient content of the food we eat in relation to our nutritional needs, and from t

he ability of our bodies to digest, absorb and use those nutrients.

They further added that in order to have good nutritional status, we need certain fundamental conditions. We need to always have enough nutritious and safe food to eat; we need clean water, good sanitation and clean living conditions; we need access to health services; and we need the knowledge and ability to feed and care for ourselves and our family. Each of these conditions is essential for good nutritional status and they often affect each other. If any of these are missing, the result can be malnutrition and disease.

In driving home their assertion, they concluded that the foundation of good physical health is good nutritional status, and that nutritional status is directly affected by the foods we eat and their nutrient content. Good nutritional status depends on eating the right amounts and the right variety of safe, good quality foods to meet our individual nutritional needs.  Food provides the energy and nutrients needed to support all body functions, maintain good health and carry out everyday activities. Food contains many ingredients, called nutrients, which help the body function well. Foods are complex mixtures of different components, providing varying amounts of the nutrients the body needs. Most nutrients cannot be produced by the body and must be taken in adequate amounts from the food we eat in order to be healthy and prevent disease. No single food contains all the nutrients needed by the body in the right amounts; one food may be rich in one or two nutrients, but low in other essential nutrients. It is only by eating adequate amounts of a variety of foods that we can help ensure that we will take in the right amounts of the nutrients needed for good health and nutritional status.

Reference

Gibney, M.; Vorster, H. & Kok F. (2002). Introduction to Human Nutrition. Nutrition Society and Blackwell Publishing