Purpose Statement
To inform my audience about healthy eating and the way they can benefit from it. The positive evaluation of the topic presupposes a persuasive element.
Thesis Statement
Healthy eating habits can significantly improve one’s health which means that they should be promoted.
Introduction
Attention Getter: We all know that healthy eating is beneficial for us, but do we realize what kind of impact it may have on our life?
Overview of Main Points: Let us discuss the topic by characterizing healthy eating and the way it may influence our lives.
We have to admit that the idea of healthy eating is somewhat vague.
Problem Overview
Nowadays the variety of diets offered to us is astonishing, and not every one of them should be trusted. Still, the issue has been researched extensively in the past years, and a certain agreement concerning it was reached in scientific circles. Healthy diet guidelines include the following points (Ogden, 2014).
Large amounts and a variety of fruit, vegetables, and complex carbohydrate (can be found in potatoes, pasta, bread, the latter had better be brown, as it also contains a good amount of fiber) are needed.
A moderate amount of meat and fish (low-fat if possible), as well as milk and dairy products, should be taken.
Fatty and sugary foods are not prohibited but are supposed to be consumed in smaller amounts.
The intake of alcohol is not recommended until adulthood and should be limited. Water is the best choice of drink, but it is not the only option.
Other limitations depend on the physical state and the age of a person. Still, these are the general recommendations that should be useful for an average healthy person.
The reasons why people need to follow a proper diet are connected both to the positive effects it can have on health and, more importantly, the negative, destructive results that a poor diet can lead to.
Nutrition is crucial for human health.
It is especially important during the periods of pregnancy and nursing as well as during the early stages of life (consider the diseases caused by elements deficiency, for example, rickets, resulting from the lack of calcium and/or vitamin D).
During puberty, the organism develops much less rapidly but is still growing and needs proper food (Edelstein, 2011).
Most resulting health problems (obesity aside) tend to manifest during the adult age. During adulthood, diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer may be attributed to wrong eating behavior (Traill et al., 2010).
Bad eating habits during adulthood result in deteriorating physical and mental health (Westbrook, 2004).
Apart from physical health, the improper diet has been shown to result in lower “levels of life satisfaction and satisfaction with food” (Schnettler et al., 2015, p. 203).
Healthy food is not a panacea and cannot guarantee a solution to all health problems. Still, its beneficial effect cannot be denied.
If healthy diets are so important, what could be the reasons for not sticking to them?
Unfortunately, those are not always connected to laziness or lack of information.
Since the results of a diet are not instant, it is not uncommon for people to underestimate its importance. For example, youngsters are notorious for neglecting proper diets. However, this problem can and should be fixed by developing healthy eating habits in their childhood (Pollak et al., 2010).
Still, not every person can afford the luxury of healthy eating which is especially true for poorer families. This problem is harder to solve and must be addressed on the governmental level (Edelstein, 2011).
Conclusion
While it is more common for people to stick to healthy diets only when it is highly recommended (during pregnancy or illness), it is obvious that proper eating habits can improve one’s physical and mental state. Therefore, when possible, they should be promoted, especially among the younger generation.
References
Edelstein, S. (2011). Nutrition in public health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Ogden, J. (2014). The good parenting food guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Pollak, J., Gay, G., Byrne, S., Wagner, E., Retelny, D., & Humphreys, L. (2010). It’s Time to Eat! Using Mobile Games to Promote Healthy Eating. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 9(3), 21-27. doi:10.1109/mprv.2010.41
Schnettler, B., Miranda, H., Lobos, G., Orellana, L., Sepúlveda, J., & Denegri, M.,… Grunert, K. G. (2015). Eating habits and subjective well-being. A typology of students in Chilean state universities. Appetite, 89, 203-214. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.02.008
Traill, W., Shankar, B., Brambila-Macias, J., Bech-Larsen, T., Aschemann-Witzel, J., & Strand, M., … Lyle, D. (2010). Interventions to promote healthy eating habits: evaluation and recommendations. Obesity Reviews, 11(12), 895-898. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789x.2010.00717.x
Westbrook, C. (2004). Review: Super Size Me. BBC News. Web.