What the essay winners had to say about nutrition
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from October 1979.
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Kerrylyn Tatum of Form 1 "What is the importance of nutrition? It is as important as life itself. Without good nutrition our bodies do not grow properly. Our minds are affected and we cannot reach our true potential. What does nutrition mean? It is the process by which food is converted into the living tissues, so we can see how important nutrition is.
Without proper nutrition, expecting mothers cannot bring a normal child into the world and they have to be extra careful at this period of the child's life. Also we have many examples of what the lack of nutrition can do by the pitiful sights of what we see in other countries.
In order for us to get good nutrition we must know the four basic foods our bodies require daily. Proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and fats. We get protein from: meat, eggs, milk, fish and cheese which are body building foods. We get carbohydrates from: starch foods like rice and potatoes, these give us energy and body heat. We get minerals and vitamins from fruits and vegetables and we obtain fat from meat and things like cooking oil, butter etc."
Nichola Bodden of Form 3 "Webster's dictionary defines nutrition as the process by which an organism converts food into living tissues.
Since the body requires food energy for its function of tissues and growth and physical activity, nutritional allowances should be sufficient to maintain levels best for health and well-being.
Poor nutrition commonly called malnutrition results when a person eats too little food or the wrong kinds of food. Children who do not have enough food to eat may grow very slowly and some develop bowed bones, decayed teeth, inflamed eyes and dry hair. Older people tend to eat less than usual, so their skin begins to waste away and they become very thin and frail. So a balanced diet served attractively would help their nutritional deficiency.
There are six essential food stuffs with which the body must be constantly supplied through the food we eat. So a well-balanced meal each day consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats which and the energy sources. Water minerals and vitamins help regulate body processes. So we can see that nutrition is very important in human growth because without it we would all suffer severe diseases."
Tammy Banks of Form 4 "Nutrition in our lives is very important for many reasons.
For example, if a child does not have a balanced diet early in his life he will probably suffer from malnutrition. The child's body, not receiving enough proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates etc., all essential for a healthy life, will not have an adequate resistance to diseases such as measles, chicken pox and more serious diseases.
Also, the process of his growth will not be normal. The omission of a balanced diet in a child's life could also affect his life in years ahead. For example, if he does not receive enough vitamins in his childhood, he may not be able to produce a child when he is older because the lack of vitamin E can cause infertility.
A diet consisting of the right kinds and amounts of food, is just as important to adults as it is to children. Without the vital nutrients, adults too will be more prone to diseases than if they were receiving enough of the nutrients.
So for healthy life, everyone should have balanced diet and parents should make sure that the children consume enough nutrients essential to them for good health." Connie Scott of Form 5 "Nutrition is the science and study of foods that make the body strong and healthy. The body gets the nourishment it needs from raw materials that are contained in foods.
Starch, sugar, fat, protein, minerals, vitamins and water are all raw materials. From these raw materials the body builds bones and muscles and makes blood.
Certain foods contain large amounts of sugar, starch or fat and all these supply the body with energy.
Foods that contain protein and iron are valuable to the body because they repair bones, skin and tissues. Calcium helps build bones and teeth.
Fish and salt are the most important sources of iodine, which is needed by the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland controls the way the body uses food.
Vitamins are important materials that help a body to grow. Each kind of vitamin has its own particular use. Vitamin C for example, helps build bones, teeth and muscle and it helps the body to heal when it has been wounded.
Certain diseases such as pelagra, scury and beriberi occur when the body does not receive enough vitamins.
A person should enjoy the food he eats and he should eat the food that contains the raw material needed by his body." Tony Grant of 5R
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