importance of healthy eating habits and a fitness regime essay

Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

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100 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

The necessity of healthy eating.

Healthy eating is crucial for growing bodies. Consuming a balanced diet gives our bodies the nutrients needed to function correctly.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

Eating healthy foods reduces the risk of chronic diseases. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, boosts energy, and improves brain function.

Healthy Eating Habits

Incorporate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into your meals. Avoid processed foods and sugary drinks. Remember, moderation is key.

Healthy eating habits are essential for a healthy life. Start today and reap the benefits tomorrow.

250 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

The vitality of healthy eating habits.

The significance of healthy eating habits cannot be underestimated, especially in our current fast-paced world where convenience often trumps nutritional value. Adopting a balanced diet is paramount to maintaining optimal health and enhancing cognitive function.

Nutrition and Physical Health

A diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients fuels our bodies, supporting vital functions. It aids in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Consuming fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can significantly improve physical health.

Nutrition and Mental Health

Moreover, our diet directly affects our mental health. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and nuts, can enhance brain function, improving memory and mood. Simultaneously, a deficiency in certain nutrients can lead to mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits

Establishing healthy eating habits involves more than just choosing the right food. It also includes regular meal times, appropriate portion sizes, and mindful eating. It’s about creating a sustainable lifestyle rather than a temporary diet.

In conclusion, healthy eating habits are a cornerstone of overall well-being. They contribute to physical health, mental health, and quality of life. As college students, it is crucial to prioritize these habits to ensure not only academic success but lifelong health. Let’s remember, our food choices today will shape our health tomorrow.

500 Words Essay on Importance of Healthy Eating Habits

Introduction.

The importance of healthy eating habits cannot be overstated, particularly in a world where fast food and processed meals have become the norm. Healthy eating habits are not just about maintaining an ideal weight or avoiding obesity; they are also about ensuring optimal physical and mental health, and enhancing overall quality of life.

The Role of Nutrition in Human Health

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in human health. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats provides the essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. These nutrients are vital for maintaining energy levels, supporting brain function, aiding in cellular repair, strengthening the immune system, and preventing chronic diseases.

The Impact of Unhealthy Eating Habits

On the contrary, unhealthy eating habits such as consuming high amounts of processed foods, sugary snacks, and fatty meals can lead to numerous health issues. These include obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Moreover, poor nutrition can also affect mental health, contributing to conditions like depression and anxiety.

Healthy Eating and Cognitive Function

Healthy eating habits are also crucial for cognitive function. Nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins, which are found in foods like fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, are essential for brain health. They enhance memory, improve mood, and protect against cognitive decline.

Importance of Healthy Eating Habits in College Students

For college students, maintaining healthy eating habits is particularly important. The rigors of academic life, coupled with the challenges of living independently, can lead to poor nutrition. This can result in decreased academic performance, poor concentration, and increased stress levels. By adopting healthy eating habits, students can improve their academic performance, boost their mood, and better manage stress.

In conclusion, healthy eating habits are a cornerstone of good health and well-being. They play a critical role in maintaining physical health, supporting mental well-being, and enhancing cognitive function. For college students, they are particularly important for academic success and stress management. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize healthy eating and make it a part of our daily routine. By doing so, we can improve our health, enhance our quality of life, and set ourselves up for long-term success.

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Keep Active & Eat Healthy to Improve Well-being & Feel Great

On this page:

Why should I move more and eat better?

Should i talk to a health care professional before starting a physical activity program, how much physical activity do i need, how can i handle roadblocks to becoming more active, how can i eat healthier, how can reading the nutrition facts label help me, how can i handle roadblocks to healthy eating, how can i eat well when away from home, i can do it, clinical trials.

Eating foods that are good for you and staying physically active may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and improve how you feel. You also may find that moving more and eating better could help you keep up with the demands of your busy life and be there for the people who depend on you.

In addition to helping you reach and maintain a healthy weight, staying active and eating better may lower your chances of developing

type 2 diabetes , or high blood sugar
high blood pressure
kidney disease
heart disease
certain kinds of cancer

But improving your health isn’t the only reason to move more and eat better. You may also

have more energy for work, play, and family
feel better about yourself
manage stress better
set a good example for your children, friends, and other family members
tone your body—without losing your curves

Your family, friends, and coworkers can be a great source of support as you work to adopt healthier habits. Ask them to join your efforts. Being healthy is important for them, too. By making healthy choices together, you may find it’s easier to move more and eat better.

Most people don’t need to see a health care professional before starting a less intense physical activity, like walking . However, if you have chronic conditions, such as diabetes—or symptoms of chronic conditions—talk with a health professional about the type and amount of physical activity that’s best for you.

Two women walking outdoors carrying water bottles

To maintain or improve your health, aim for 150 minutes per week—or at least 30 minutes on all or most days of the week—of moderate physical activity. Moderate activities are ones that you can talk—but not sing—while doing, such as brisk walking or dancing. These activities speed up your heart rate and breathing.

If you haven’t been active, work slowly toward the goal of 150 minutes per week. For example, start out doing light or moderate activities for shorter amounts of time throughout the week. You can gain some health benefits even if you do as little as 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.

For best results, spread out your physical activity throughout the week. Even 10 or 15 minutes at a time counts. And any amount of physical activity is better than none at all.

To lose weight and keep it off, you may need to be even more active. Shoot for 300 minutes per week, or an hour a day 5 days a week. On at least 2 days per week, also try activities that strengthen your muscles . Examples of these activities include workouts using hand weights or rubber strength bands.

Becoming more active isn’t easy. Different people may have different reasons for finding it hard to get moving. If some of the roadblocks below sound familiar, try the suggested tips to help you overcome them.

“I don't have time.”

Try sneaking a few minutes of physical activity at a time into your day. Get started by making these small changes in your daily routine:

Break your physical activity up into two or three 10-minute walks a day, if you can do so safely near work or home.
Take regular breaks from sitting at the computer or watching TV. Get up, move, and stretch by lifting your hands over your head. Twist side to side.
Schedule time to be active as you would a hair or work appointment, and stick to your plan.

“I'm going to ruin my hairstyle.”

If you avoid being active because you don’t want to ruin your hairstyle, try

a natural hairstyle, short haircut, braids, twists, locs, or wigs
wrapping a scarf around your hair; when you’re done with your workout, remove the scarf and let your hair air dry.

“It costs too much.”

You can be active without spending a lot of money—or any money at all:

Look for free or low-cost classes and activities in your community.
Walk in a mall, or walk or jog in a park or on a school track.
Gather friends and neighbors from your apartment complex and hold regular group workout sessions.
Find workout videos online and on YouTube if you have internet service—or DVDs at the library—and work out at home.

“Physical activity is a chore.”

Some people may be put off by physical activity, especially if they haven’t been active for a while or got hurt and are afraid of getting injured again. However, with some planning and effort, physical activity can be enjoyable:

Try being active with your kids—walk, jump rope, play flag football or tag, or toss a softball. Children should get an hour of physical activity each day.
Get a friend or family member to go biking or take a dance class with you. You can cheer each other on, have company, and feel safer when you’re outdoors.
Enjoy friendly competition with family and friends by setting a weight-loss challenge or entering a walking, biking, or running event for a worthy cause.

Four adults and two children strolling along a wooded trail

An example of a healthy meal includes vegetables, fruits, and small portions of protein and whole grains. These foods provide fiber and important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. When planning meals for you and your family, think about including

a salad or other different-colored vegetables, such as spinach; sweet potatoes; and red, green, orange, or yellow peppers
fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, or nondairy products such as almond or rice milk
different-colored fruits, including apples, bananas, and grapes
lean beef, pork, or other protein foods, such as chicken, seafood, eggs, tofu, or beans
whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cornmeal

Treats are okay if you have them once in a while. Just don’t eat foods such as candy, ice cream, or cookies every day. Limit sweet treats to special occasions, and keep portions small. Have one cookie or piece of candy, rather than trying every kind.

Remember that alcohol, juices, soda, and other sweet drinks have a lot of sugar and calories.

If you can’t have milk or milk products because you have trouble digesting lactose , the sugar found in milk, try lactose-free milk or yogurt. Besides milk and milk products, you can get calcium from calcium-added cereals, juices, and drinks made from soy or nuts. Eating dark green leafy vegetables such as collard greens and kale, and canned fish with soft bones like salmon, can also help you meet your body’s calcium needs.

Reading the information on the Nutrition Facts label can help you choose foods high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals; and low in sodium , added sugars , and unhealthy fats, which federal dietary guidelines (PDF, 3.94 MB) recommend Americans limit.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Nutrition Facts label appears on most packaged foods and tells you how many calories and servings are in a box, can, or package. The label also shows how many nutrients are in one food serving. The FDA made changes in 2016 to update the Nutrition Facts label .

Eating healthy foods may seem hard when you don’t have time to cook or are on a tight budget. Try these tips to get past roadblocks that may keep you from eating well:

“I don't have time to cook healthy meals; I don’t really know how to cook.”

Eating healthy doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Nor do you need to be a chef to prepare healthy meals. Here are ways you and your family can eat better without spending a lot of time preparing meals:

Buy frozen or precut veggies and add them to a salad or veggie wrap with pita bread for a quick meal. Or microwave the veggies and add them to whole-grain pasta.
When you cook, make enough for extra meals. Casseroles with veggies and whole grains, and a whole cooked chicken, may last a few days so you don’t have to cook another meal every day. Be sure to freeze or refrigerate leftovers right away to keep them safe to eat.
If you don’t feel comfortable cooking, try something easy, like combining your favorite fresh, frozen, or canned veggies to make a stir-fry. Check out websites , videos, and online blogs for more recipe ideas as your confidence builds.

Mother, father, and daughter preparing vegetables in a kitchen

“Eating well costs too much.”

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat well :

Avoid buying single portions of snacks, yogurt, and other foods, which costs more. Instead, buy in bulk or larger sizes and divide into smaller portions as needed.
Check newspaper ads for food sales. Clip coupons or print them from websites.
Buy fruits and vegetables in season, when they’re cheaper.
Try canned beans such as black, butter, kidney, pinto, and others. They’re loaded with protein, cost less than meat and fish, and make quick and easy additions to your meals.

Here are some ways to make healthy food choices when you’re on the go:

Avoid heavy gravies, salad dressings, or sauces. Leave them off or ask for them on the side so you can control how much you eat.
Try to avoid fried foods and fast food. Instead of fried chicken, order baked, broiled, or grilled chicken, or a turkey sandwich with whole-grain bread.
Share a meal with a friend or take half of it home.
Take healthy snacks with you to work, such as apples or fat-free yogurt with fruit.

Set specific goals and move at your own pace to reach them. For example, instead of “I’ll be more active,” set a goal such as “I’ll take a walk after lunch at least 2 days a week.” Ask your family, friends, and coworkers to help you. They can join you, cheer you on, help you get back on track after a setback, and be there to celebrate your successes!

No matter what, keep trying. You can do it!

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.

What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?

Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you .

What clinical trials are open?

Clinical trials that are currently open and are recruiting can be viewed at www.ClinicalTrials.gov .

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

The NIDDK would like to thank: Anne E. Sumner, M.D., NIDDK; National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (joint appointment)

Healthy Eating Habits

Introduction, nutrition and healthy eating, healthy living strategies, works cited.

Proper nutrition and physical activity are important aspects of healthy livings as their contribution to reducing the rates of chronic diseases is a well-established fact. On the other hand, unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical exercise lead to diseases such as diabetes, obesity, stroke, heart diseases, and osteoporosis, which can sometimes be fatal.

The findings of a study conducted in 1990 established that 14% of all deaths in the U.S. could be attributed to poor eating habits and physical inactivity with sedentary lifestyles, a contributor to 23% of disease-related deaths[1]. Healthy eating habits involve the inclusion of fruits, vegetables, and important minerals in the diet and the reduction of saturated fat intake.

Regular physical activity is essential for healthy living as it reduces the chances of developing coronary heart disease. The reduced physical activity and the changes in eating and dieting habits have long-lasting health consequences on the general health of the public, particularly the children and adolescents.

Developing good eating habits for children and adolescents is important for their long-term nutritional well-being. Proper nutrition, together with regular physical activity, enhances proper physical growth, promotes positive self-esteem, and promotes the children’s capacity to learn. In addition, good nutrition and physical activity also prevent diseases such as obesity.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a rapid increase in the rate of children becoming overweight over the past twenty years, attributed to poor nutrition and exercise habits[2]. Proper nutrition and physical exercise habits are important in maintaining a healthy living, and this can be started at an early age.

The parents eating habits influence the children’s feeding practices, and therefore, teaching children healthy eating habits in schools would make them practice healthy behaviors throughout their lives[3]. Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits with a reduction in fat intake coupled with physical activity are among the healthy habits to curb the overweight problems in children.

The consequences of physical inactivity and poor dietary habits in children and adults alike are obesity, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30k/m2.

The prevalence of obesity increased among the population between 1991 and 2000, affecting all the segments of the population in the U.S[4]. Obesity is the major cause of health complications, including diabetes (type II), hypertension, heart diseases, stroke, osteoarthritis, respiratory complications, and some cancers.

The socio-economic consequences of obesity, now an epidemic, are overwhelming. The intervention strategies usually focus on promoting good eating habits, including a reduction in calorie intake and helping people increase their physical activity. In children, breastfeeding prevents excessive weight gain and obesity in early childhood and adolescence and, thus, a good strategy of reducing childhood obesity[5].

For adults and young people, poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity increase the risk of developing health-related complications. These segments of the population have an increased risk for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels.

By establishing healthier eating habits combined with physical activity, the onset of these diseases would be prevented[6]. Additionally, active lifestyles and healthy eating behaviors help people with chronic diseases to cope with or control the effects of the diseases and prevent deterioration of their physical condition.

In order to promote healthy living and prevent complications arising from poor eating habits such as obesity, various healthy living strategies involving behavior change are important[7]. To reduce health-related complications in the elderly, regular physical exercises and sporting, including jogging and regular visits to the gym, can be very helpful.

Given the immense benefits of physical exercises, social support is one way of motivating people to remain physically fit and live healthy lifestyles. This can be achieved by providing programs that help people incorporate exercises into their daily routines.

Furthermore, increasing community-based programs and facilities would encourage people to exercise and in the process, live healthy lifestyles. Increased consumption of vegetables and fruits with lower calorie intake lowers the incidences of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and some cancers[8].

Excessive intake of saturated fats is the major cause of cardiovascular diseases and cancers[9]. Therefore, to achieve healthy living, the diet should constitute plenty of fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat. Daily consumption of at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables is recommended for healthy living; however, less than 25% of the U.S. population consumes this[10].

For young children and adolescents, school-based physical education (PE) enables students to engage in physical activities to promote their physical well-being and learning. Prolonged television watching among children and adolescents increases overweight incidences among children[11].

This may be because television watching leads to a decline in calorie-burning physical activity and reduces the children’s metabolic rate. Furthermore, television watching may influence the children’s eating habits contributing to an increased risk of obesity.

Physical inactivity and poor eating habits cause health-related complications such as obesity and heart diseases. The intervention methods usually focus on promoting physical exercises and healthier eating habits. Given the current increase in health-related diseases, it is evident that reduced physical activity and unhealthy eating habits have adverse impacts on the general health of the public, more especially the young people.

CDC. Healthy Youth! Childhood Overweight , 2006.

DHHS. Healthy People 2010 . Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2000.

McGinnis, John, and Foege, Wrights. “Actual causes of death in the United States.” JAMA 37.2 (1993): 2207-12.

Ness, Amie, and Powles, Jacobs. “Fruit and vegetables and cardiovascular disease: a Review”. Int. J Epidemiol 26.4 (1997): 7-13.

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Why Are Healthy Eating Habits Important?

Whole foods including fruits, veggies, and whole grains can have benefits for your body and mind.

If you’ve ever asked someone how to be healthy, you’ve probably heard this advice: Eat a healthy diet. Really, though, what does that even mean? If you ask many followers of the trendy ketogenic diet , it means shunning sweet potatoes and quinoa in favor of cheese and coconut oil. For another person, it might mean avoiding sugary foods like ice cream and candy at all costs. And someone else may tell you to avoid all dairy and nix gluten.

The problem is that this back-and-forth about what’s truly healthy can cause a whole lot of confusion, not to mention prompt people to try unsustainable and unnecessarily restrictive diets in the name of health. If that’s you, there’s no need for embarrassment: Just be relieved to learn that healthy eating is far simpler than you may think.

RELATED: A Complete Guide to MyPlate

Healthy Versus Unhealthy Eating Habits: What’s the Difference?

“What I promote to clients is a whole-foods diet, meaning, eat foods as close to their original form as possible,” says Alicia Galvin, RD , a nutritionist based in Dallas. When food is processed or refined, it’s stripped of most of its fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and often preservatives are added in their place, she explains.

A plant-based eating pattern is the way to go. “Studies show that people who consume a more plant-based diet have a lower risk of all the chronic diseases,” says Samantha Heller, RD , a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City.

Case in point: One study found that people who stick with plant-based eating patterns have a 16 percent lower risk of developing heart disease, possibly because these diets tend to include more heart-healthy fiber and nutrients like potassium while limiting intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. The definition of plant-based eating can vary, but it includes vegan (no animal products), raw vegan (no animal products and only raw foods), vegetarian (no meat), or even flexitarian (eating vegetarian most of the time).

Also key: cultivating a happy relationship with food. “Food is not the enemy,” says Galvin. Rather than focus on what you shouldn’t be eating, think about what you can add to your plate that will improve your health, like nuts for heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids or raspberries for their fiber and antioxidants.

RELATED: 9 Scientific Benefits of Following a Plant-Based Diet

Why Should I Make Healthy Food Choices?

Food is one of the most important tools for a life lived well — and long, says Galvin.

A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Disease

“In the United States, the top leading causes of death are related to chronic disease, which comes from having an unhealthy lifestyle,” she says. Smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise , and excessive alcohol use are the top causes of chronic disease, which includes heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) .

Food Choices Affect Your Mental Health

It’s not just our physical health that can see a boost when you prioritize a healthy diet. Research shows that food choices also affect mental health. In one review , study authors report that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals is associated with a lower risk for mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Eat a Healthy Diet and You May Lose Weight

Being overweight or having obesity is associated with an increased risk of these health conditions, per the CDC , so weight loss can be important if you have a high body mass index (BMI) . Fortunately, following a high-quality diet in which you pay attention to portion sizes can also help you reach a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic . Another piece of the puzzle: eating mindfully. Turn off the TV or any other distractions while eating, and don’t eat too fast or for emotional reasons, notes the Mayo Clinic .

RELATED: How to Do a ‘Dry January’ Any Month of the Year

Why Should I Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle?

In sum, the payoff of a healthy lifestyle is huge. “Over time, when you make healthy decisions about food, you are at a lower risk for cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even anxiety and depression. You will have more energy, feel better, and may even be in a better mood on a daily basis,” says Heller.

Again, it comes down to the length and quality of your life. In one review , a healthy diet was found to decrease the risk of early death from any cause by 56 percent. Researchers defined a healthy diet as one that focuses on eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish. On the other hand, a higher intake of red or processed meats increased the risk of early death by twofold.

RELATED: What Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

How to Improve and Change Your Eating Habits

If your goal is to eat healthier, it can feel overwhelming to think that you have to change up your eating habits all at once. Here are six tips on how to start.

1. Make a Plan for Your New Healthy Diet

The first step is to develop a concrete and specific plan of action, says Heller. For instance, tomorrow morning when it’s time to eat breakfast, plan to skip the fast-food breakfast sandwich and eat a piece of whole-grain toast with peanut butter at home.

2. Save Your Lunch Money

Bringing your lunch to school or work has more than one perk. It’s a good way to save money and use up what you have in the house, and it will likely be more nutritious. One easy way to do that, suggests Heller: Pack leftovers from last night’s dinner.

3. Keep Unhealthy Foods Out of Sight

Purge your pantry and fridge of any unhealthy food, and start thinking about getting only the good stuff into your kitchen. That way you’ll have more of a chance of eating healthy and much less of a chance of eating junk. Make a shopping list so that you can pick up all the vegetables, fruit, and other plant-based foods that you need for the next three days, says Heller.

RELATED: The Ultimate Diet Guide for a Healthier, Less-Stressed You

5. Take Baby Steps

Set small, doable goals, says Galvin. For instance, you want to eat three more servings of vegetables this week: How can you make that happen? Maybe that’s by adding one extra serving of veggies to dinner just three nights this week. Or, you’re going to make one meal that’s bean-based, like chili for lunch just one day this week.

6. Start a Journal to Monitor Food Choices

A food diary is one way to eat healthier, says Heller. It’s not to track calories or carbohydrates — instead, writing down your food habits will help you better understand the why behind what you ate. Getting to this root reason is a critical step toward behavioral change. For instance, you came home after work and binged on chips and salsa while preparing dinner. Revisiting your food diary can help you understand that it was because you skipped breakfast and ate a small, rushed lunch — you were really hungry when you got home and couldn’t wait!

RELATED: Best Diets to Try (and Which to Skip)

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits in Children

If you’re perplexed by the fact that Junior has declared he hates broccoli after liking it last week, or that he finds anything but chicken nuggets or boxed mac ’n’ cheese offensive, you’ll be happy to know you don’t have to force healthy eating habits on your child. What works better? Modeling those healthy habits yourself.

“Home is where we can make the most impact on what our children are eating,” says Heller. That means getting them involved in food shopping and preparation in age-appropriate ways. Make good-for-them food accessible by putting apples and oranges in a bowl on the kitchen counter; give them a variety of foods to snack on when they get home from school and they’re naturally ravenous (baby carrots, edamame); and make an effort to have family dinner together. The last point is especially important. Families who eat together generally consume healthier diets, including more fruits and veggies, and less takeout and fast-food, according to research .

RELATED: What Does Your Child’s BMI Mean for Their Health?

What Are Some Healthy Foods to Eat Every Day?

There are so many healthy foods, and you can choose the ones you like, without worrying about the latest “superfood.” Remember: “There is no bad fruit, vegetable, nut, seed, legume, or whole grain. They’re all good, and there’s no single one that’s magical,” says Heller. Here are a few indisputably healthy foods to incorporate into your meals and snacks:

Fruits Berries, bananas, citrus, mango, kiwi, apples, melons
Vegetables Leafy greens (like kale, arugula, and collard greens), peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushroom, squash
Legumes Beans, lentils, dried peas, hummus
Whole grains Brown rice, wild rice, whole-grain bread, quinoa, amaranth, millet , bulgur
Nuts and seeds Almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin seeds

RELATED: 10 of the Best Plant-Based Sources of Protein

What Are Some Diets That Promote Balanced Eating?

Following a diet that promotes balanced eating rather than a trendy diet that lays out several rules and restrictions, and possibly cuts entire food groups, is a more sustainable approach, says Heller. These include the Mediterranean diet , the DASH diet , the MIND diet (a combination of DASH and Mediterranean that’s focused on brain-friendly foods to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease), as well as a vegetarian diet (if you choose to avoid meat).

RELATED: U.S. News & World Report’s Best and Worst Diets

One Last Thing on the Importance of Healthy Eating

Filling your plate with plant foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains will help protect your body against chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Avoid fad diets, which are short-lived and unsustainable.

“Our body’s mission is to keep us alive,” says Heller. “We can help our body do that by supplying it with the nutrients it needs to keep it healthy, so you can feel great every day.”

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Kim H et al. Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association . August 20, 2019.
About Chronic Diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . July 21, 2022.
Lim SY et al. Nutritional Factors Affecting Mental Health. Clinical Nutrition Research . July 2016.
Causes of Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . March 21, 2022.
Portion Control for Weight Loss. Mayo Clinic . September 1, 2023.
Balzer D. Mayo Clinic Minute: Mindfulness While Eating. Mayo Clinic . December 6, 2019.
Schwingshackl L et al. Food Groups and Risk of All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . June 2017.
Walton K et al. Exploring the Role of Family Functioning in the Association Between Frequency of Family Dinners and Dietary Intake Among Adolescents and Young Adults. JAMA Network Open . November 21, 2018.

Healthy Lifestyle and Eating Essay

Healthy eating is the process of keeping the body clean, strong, and healthy at all times (Allen, 1926). Healthy living, on the other hand, means that one should be able to eat the right food, get enough exercise, and maintain cleanliness (James, 1907). Unfortunately, many people do not keep track of these requirements. Thus, they end up with serious health problems, which can be difficult to treat. Prevention of these problems can be accomplished through maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Such a lifestyle is achievable by eating the right food and adhering to all the requirements of healthy living.

The human body needs a balanced diet, which includes enough minerals, fats, vitamins, fiber, and carbohydrates (Albrecht, 1932). These substances are required by the body to facilitate the growth and functioning of body tissues. Low energy foods such as vegetables and fruits have small amounts of calories per unit volume of food. Therefore, it is advisable to eat this combination of foods in large volumes as it contains fewer calories, but has nutrients that are essential for optimal body functionality. Incidentally, one should take food that is free from unhealthy fats, but should ensure that whole grains and proteins go alongside fruits and vegetables.

Apart from choosing the best foods for the body, it is also advisable that people should maintain moderate quantities of food intake. For instance, it is prudent to eat less of unhealthy foods such as refined sugar and saturated fats and more of healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits. This pattern of eating has massive health benefits to its adherents. As such, people should strive to develop good eating habits that can sustain them throughout their lives.

Further, it is recommended that one should eat a heavy breakfast an hour after waking up. The breakfast needs to consist of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins in balanced proportions. It should then be followed by light meals throughout the day. This requirement is important since breakfast helps to initiate the body’s metabolism. The light and healthy meals thereafter help maintain a high body energy level that keeps one active throughout the day (Allen, 1926). People should avoid eating late at night. Early dinners are advisable followed by an average of 15 hours of no food until breakfast time the next morning. Past studies show that this pattern helps regulate body weight (James, 1907).

People who are diagnosed with lifestyle diseases such as anemia, high blood pressure, and diabetes among others are advised to follow diets that are rich in fruits and vegetable content (Allen, 1926). Depending on the stage of illness, such people should strictly watch what they eat. For example, high blood pressure patients should cut down on sodium, which is mainly found in salt. They should also avoid foods that have high cholesterol and saturated fats since diets of this sort prompt a high risk of artery clogging. Consequently, it increases the risk of heart attacks and blood vessel diseases (Albrecht, 1932). Further, they need to control the amount of carbohydrates they take.

Carbohydrates should only account for 50% of their daily calories (Allen, 1926). Finally, they are discouraged from foods with a high phosphorous content since they may lead to bone diseases (Allen, 1926). Overweight people constitute another special needs group. They should reduce weight to be healthy. Consequently, they need at least 30 minutes of rigorous physical exercise everyday and a lean diet.

In conclusion, all these groups of people should increase their water intake. Water is essential in the human body since it facilitates the regulation of all body functions. As such, it enhances body health. In this regard, people should strive to take at least eight glasses per day. Apparently, healthy living calls for discipline and commitment. If people foster these two values in the lifestyles, the world will be full of healthy people.

Albrecht, Arthur E. (1932). About foods and markets : A teachers’ handbook and consumers’ guide . New York City, NY: Columbia University. Web.

Allen, Ida C. (1926). Your foods and you or the role of diet . Garden City, NY: Doubleday Page & Company. Web.

James F. (1907). How we are fed: A geographical reader . New York, NY: Macmillan. Web.

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Health and Fitness Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on health and fitness.

We have always heard the word ‘health’ and ‘fitness’. We use it ourselves when we say phrases like ‘health is wealth’ and ‘fitness is the key’. What does the word health really mean? It implies the idea of ‘being well’. We call a person healthy and fit when he/she function well physically as well as mentally.

Factors Affecting our Health and Fitness

Good health and fitness is not something which one can achieve entirely on our own. It depends on their physical environment and the quality of food intake. We live in villages, towns, and cities.

In such places, even our physical environment affects our health. Therefore, our social responsibility of pollution-free environment directly affects our health. Our day-to-day habits also determine our fitness level. The quality of food, air, water all helps in building our fitness level.

Role of Nutritious Diet on our Health and Fitness

The first thing about where fitness starts is food. We should take nutritious food. Food rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates is very essential. Protein is necessary for body growth. Carbohydrates provide the required energy in performing various tasks. Vitamin and minerals help in building bones and boosting our immune system.

However, taking food in uneven quantity is not good for the body. Taking essential nutrients in adequate amount is called a balanced diet. Taking a balanced diet keep body and mind strong and healthy. Good food helps in better sleep, proper brain functioning and healthy body weight.

Include vegetables, fruits, and pulses in daily diet. One must have a three-course meal. Having roughage helps in cleaning inner body organs. Healthy food habit prevents various diseases. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet prevents cholesterol and heart diseases.

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Impact of Exercise on our Health

Routine exercise helps improve our muscle power. Exercise helps in good oxygen supply and blood flow throughout the body. Heart and lungs work efficiently. Our bones get strong and joints have the pain free movement.

We should daily spend at least twenty minutes in our exercise. Daily morning walk improves our fitness level. We should avoid strenuous Gym activities. Exercise burns our fat and controls the cholesterol level in the body. Various outdoor games like cricket, football, volleyball, etc keeps our body fit. Regular exercise maintains our body shape.

Meditation, Yoga, and Health

Meditation and yoga are part of our life from ancient time. They not only make us physically fit but mentally strong as well. Meditation improves our concentration level. Our mind gets relaxed and thinking becomes positive.

A healthy mind is key for a healthy body. Yoga makes us stressfree and improves the endurance power of the mind. Yoga controls our blood pressure. With yoga, a strong bond with nature is established. Meditation is considered the best way to fight depression.

A person stays happier when he/she is fit and healthy. A fit and healthy person is less prone to chronic diseases. The healthy mind reacts better in a pressure situation. The self-confidence of a person is increased. Risk of heart failure is reduced drastically. With the increased immunity power body could fight cancerous cells. The intensity of the fracture is decreased with regular exercise.

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Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Essay on Healthy Lifestyle

The top secret of being physically fit is adopting a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits, and having a physically active daily routine. Lifestyle is the most prevailing factor that affects one’s fitness level. A person leading a sedentary lifestyle has a low fitness level whereas living a healthier life not only makes a person fit but also extends life. Good health has a direct impact on our personality. A person with a good and healthy lifestyle is generally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic.

A good and healthy lifestyle allows one to relish and savor all the pleasures in life without any complications. Even all the wealth is less valuable when compared to sound health. Having all the luxuries in the world does not fulfill its purpose when one is continuously ill, depressed, or suffering from a significant health complication. A healthy person has a clear and calm perception of everything without prejudice. His actions and decisions are more practical and logical and are hence more successful in life.

A good habit is a key factor for a healthy lifestyle. To maintain a stable body and mind, one needs to inculcate good habits. Waking up early in the morning, regularly exercising or a good morning walk helps to keep our body energetic and refresh our mind. Maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet throughout the day is vital for maintaining a good lifestyle. Too much indulgence in alcohol or smoking excessively is not at all appropriate for a healthy lifestyle.

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is important for maintaining a good lifestyle. When we are self-disciplined then we are more organized and regular in maintaining good health. A disciplined life is a regulated life. A man without discipline is a ship without a rudder. Discipline needs self-control. One who cannot control himself can seldom control others. The level of discipline and perseverance largely determines a person’s success. Self-discipline is the act of disciplining one’s own feelings, desires, etc. especially with the intention of improving oneself. It strengthens our willpower. The stronger our will power the positive will be our decision. It enables us to conquer our own self.

Punctuality

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. Punctuality is necessary for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfill all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

Diet is an important component for overall fitness and works best in combination with exercise. A balanced diet and exercise regularly help to maintain good health. It is necessary to reduce weight if one is overweight or obese, failing which one cannot be physically fit for long. For people with obesity, more exercise and a strict regime are necessary, preferably under guidance. There are many ways of making the diet healthier.

Use less sugar and salt while cooking food.

Use less oil while cooking. Avoid deep-frying as much as possible.

Eat more fruits daily. They provide more vitamins and minerals to our bodies.

Add sprouts of gram and moong dal to at least one meal in a day. Add fiber to your diet. Use whole grains instead of polished cereals. Eat lots of salad and yogurt.

Eat fermented food regularly. Fermented food contains many useful bacteria that help in the process of digestion.

Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases

By adopting a healthy lifestyle one can avoid lifestyle diseases. The following are some ways in which we can prevent lifestyle diseases.

Eat a balanced diet that contains important nutrients. One must include more fresh fruits and green vegetables in the diet. Refrain from eating junk food. Stay away from foods that contain large amounts of salt or sugar.

Exercise regularly. Spend more time outdoors and do activities such as walking, running, swimming, and cycling.

One must avoid overindulgence in alcohol, junk food, smoking, and addiction to drugs and medicines.

Avoid spending too much on modern gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, televisions, etc. Spend time on these gadgets for short intervals of time only.

Set a healthy sleeping routine for every day. Waking early in the morning and going to bed early at night should be a daily habit. Lead an active life.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Bad food habits and an unhealthy lifestyle such as less or no physical activity may lead to several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anemia, and various heart diseases. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle not only makes a person confident and productive but also drives him to success. A person with a healthy lifestyle will enjoy both personal and social life.

FAQs on Healthy Lifestyle Essay

What Do You Understand about a Healthy Lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a healthy diet, taking good care of self, healthy sleep habits and having a physically active daily routine.

How is Punctuality Important for Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle?

Punctuality is the habit of doing things on time. It is the characteristic of every successful person and everyone must observe punctuality in order to win success in life. It should become a habit with us. A punctual person is able to fulfil all his responsibilities and hence is treated with respect in society. It is needed in every walk of life.

What Happens When One Does Not Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle?

When one does not maintain a healthy lifestyle then several diseases like obesity, high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, anaemia and various heart diseases can occur. An unhealthy lifestyle reduces productivity and creativity in a person. It also adversely affects moods and relationships. It leads to depression and anxiety in human beings.

What are the Main Factors that Determine a Good and Healthy Lifestyle?

In order to maintain a good and healthy lifestyle, one must be self-disciplined, self-motivated, maintain punctuality and have good habits like waking early in the morning and maintain a regular fitness regime and a balanced and nutritious diet.

Is writing an essay hard?

Essay writing is a difficult task that needs a great deal of study, time, and focus. It's also an assignment that you can divide down into manageable chunks such as introduction, main content, and conclusion. Breaking down and focusing on each individually makes essay writing more pleasant. It's natural for students to be concerned about writing an essay. It's one of the most difficult tasks to do, especially for people who aren't confident in their writing abilities. While writing a decent essay is difficult, the secret to being proficient at it is reading a lot of books, conducting extensive research on essential topics, and practicing essay writing diligently.

Why is it important for one to aspire to have a healthy lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is an important way for reducing the occurrence and impact of health problems, as well as for recovery, coping with life stressors, and improving the overall quality of life. An increasing collection of scientific data suggests that our habits have a significant impact on our health. Everything we eat and drink, as well as how much exercise we get and whether we smoke or use drugs, has an impact on our health, not just in terms of life expectancy but also in terms of how long we may expect to live without developing chronic illness. A large proportion of fatalities are caused by conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, joint disease, and mental illness. A healthy lifestyle can help to avoid or at least delay the onset of many health issues.

How to download the Essay on Healthy Lifestyle from the Vedantu website?

The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle, which is accurate and well-structured, is available for download on the Vedantu website. The Essay is accessible in PDF format on Vedantu's official website and may be downloaded for free. Students should download the Essay on Healthy Lifestyle from the Vedantu website to obtain a sense of the word limit, sentence structure, and fundamental grasp of what makes a successful essay. Vedantu essay is brief and appropriate for youngsters in school. It is written in basic English, which is ideal for kids who have a restricted vocabulary. Following the Vedantu essay ensures that students are adequately prepared for any essay subject and that they will receive high grades. Click here to read the essay about a healthy lifestyle.

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The Essay on Healthy Lifestyle designed for the Vedantu is created by a group of experts and experienced teachers. The panel of experts has created the essay after analyzing important essay topics that have been repeatedly asked in various examinations. The Essays that are provided by Vedantu are not only well-structured but also accurate and concise. They are aptly suited for young students with limited vocabulary. For best results, the students are advised to go through multiple essays and practice the topics on their own to inculcate the habits of time management and speed.

What constitutes a healthy lifestyle?

Healthy life is built on the pillars of a good diet, frequent exercise, and appropriate sleep. A healthy lifestyle keeps people in excellent shape, it also gives you more energy throughout the day, and lowers your chance of developing many diet-related chronic diseases. Healthy living is considered a lifestyle choice that allows you to enjoy more elements of your life. Taking care of one's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is part of living a healthy lifestyle.

Good Nutrition, Eating Right and proper diet.

Getting Physically Fit, Beneficial Exercise and working out often.

Adequate rest and uninterrupted sleep.

Proper Stress Management.

Self-Supportive Attitudes.

Positive Thoughts are encouraged.

Positive Self-Image and body image.

Inner Calmness and peace.

Openness to Your Creativity and Self-care.

Trust in Your Inner Knowing and your gut feeling.

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Int J Environ Res Public Health

Evaluation of Eating Habits and Their Impact on Health among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sylwia mizia.

1 Department of Organisation and Management, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-618 Wroclaw, Poland; [email protected]

Anna Felińczak

Dariusz włodarek.

2 Department of Dietetics, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 07-776 Warsaw, Poland; lp.ude.wggs@keradolw_zsuirad

Magdalena Syrkiewicz-Świtała

3 Department of Health Economics and Management, School of Public Health, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-902 Bytom, Poland; lp.ude.mus@alatiwsm

Associated Data

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author (A.F.).

According to the health field concept, the most important factor affecting health is a lifestyle. The current upward trend in overweight and obesity among younger populations is a consequence of inadequate lifestyle habits. The study aimed to characterise youth nutrition behaviour and knowledge in the context of the risk of developing overweight or obesity. The study group consisted of 307 high school students, 59% females and 41% males, aged between 15 and 19. Nutrition behaviours were studied using the standardised Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour. Body weight and body height were measured with a body composition analyser and a body height meter, respectively. It was observed that the average body mass index was 21.7 ± 3.4 kg/m 2 for the females and 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m 2 for the males ( p = 0.036). Disturbed weight-to-height ratios (i.e., overweight and obesity) were found in 15.6% of the females and 16.5% of the males. The diets of approximately 90% of these youth were characterised by excessively low pro-health product content. The males showed a significantly higher intensity of adverse health traits compared to the females (8.1% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.002). More than half of the males presented insufficient knowledge about food and nutrition (53.5% vs. 30.8%, p < 0.001). Regardless of gender, the study showed a positive correlation between adolescents’ level of knowledge and the pro-health diet index (gamma coefficient: 0.42, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation between their level of knowledge and the unhealthy diet index (gamma coefficient: −0.66, p < 0.001). The level of knowledge was closely related to the indicators of the intensities and adverse health characteristics of their diets. These results indicate the need for educational programs to raise awareness among youth in civilisation backgrounds.

1. Introduction

According to Lalonde’s health field concept, the most important factor influencing health is a lifestyle [ 1 ]. Inadequate lifestyle habits have led to a rise in overweight and obesity in young populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children should be diagnosed as overweight and obese when their body mass index (BMI) is greater than or equal to the 85th percentile and the 95th percentile, respectively. For adults, the corresponding breakpoints are 25 kg/m 2 and 30 kg/m 2 [ 2 ].

Excess weight in the young population has serious health implications. The frequencies of endocrine, metabolic, orthopaedic and psychological disorders are significantly higher in children and adolescents with obesity than in peers with normal body weight. Research indicates that approximately 80% of obese adolescents will remain obese in adulthood [ 3 ].

Adolescence is a period of many essential changes in physical, psychological and social growth. It is also a key period in developing lifestyle and nutritional behaviours that may have various health implications for young individuals. One of the lifestyle components that are crucial for adolescent growth is a well-balanced diet [ 4 ].

Many authors highlight the insufficient knowledge of a healthy lifestyle among the young generation, including their choices regarding eating [ 5 , 6 ]. The most common nutrition mistakes committed by adolescents are eating meals irregularly, including omitting breakfast [ 4 ], consuming an improperly balanced diet and consuming large amounts of highly processed products and sweetened beverages [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].

In 2019, the 4th National Nutrition Conference was held to discuss why the obesity epidemic continuously grows despite the actions taken in 2006 at the WHO European Ministerial Conference on Counteracting Obesity in Istanbul. At that time, all European countries committed to implementing the strong, comprehensive actions recommended in the European Charter on Counteracting Obesity to achieve a reversal of the trend of increasing obesity by 2015 [ 10 , 11 ].

The “National Programme for the Prevention of Overweight and Obesity” was a response to the ideas contained in the Charter, signed by the Polish Minister of Health in 2006 [ 12 ]. One of the two specific objectives of the Program included preventing overweight and obesity, improving nutrition quality and physical activity of children and adolescents. As studies have shown, there has been no success in reversing and even stopping the trend of increasing obesity [ 13 , 14 ]. This problem is very complex and challenging to explain.

Knowledge of nutrition behaviours is an essential element in designing educational activities aimed at eliminating these undesirable habits. These actions may contribute to the reduction of excessive body weight among children and adolescents [ 15 ]. Research emphasises the effectiveness of programs promoting a healthy diet and physical activity and the importance of more personalised actions [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], as well as the need to identify potential barriers for such actions [ 19 ].

The primary purpose of this study was to characterise nutrition behaviours of adolescents and their knowledge about food and nutrition in the context of the risk of developing overweightness or obesity. The secondary aim was to identify improper dietary behaviours of adolescents, verify the relationship of these behaviours with their level of nutrition knowledge and indicate directions for educational activities aimed at increasing their awareness about the diseases of civilisation.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. participants and settings.

The study group consisted of 307 high school students in Wroclaw, Poland, 59% being females and the remainder (41%) being males. The participants were aged between 15 and 19 years and participated in a project titled “Assessment of high school students’ lifestyle”. This project was carried out by the Wroclaw Medical University, Poland, between 2016 and 2019. It studied participants’ nutrition and health status by performing basic anthropometric measurements and evaluated their knowledge about food and nutrition, eating habits and health behaviours using standardised questionnaires. A convenience sample was used based on who was willing to participate. Adult students who gave written consent to participate in the project and underage students whose parents or guardians gave written consent for their child to participate in the project were included in the study. In our opinion, the success rate should be more optimistic.

2.2. Sample Size

According to the City Office data in 2018, there were 10,354 high school students in Wroclaw. The minimum sample size was determined based on available literature [ 20 , 21 , 22 ], indicating that overweight or obesity affects approximately 20% of Polish children and adolescents. Assuming a margin of error of 5%, a confidence interval of 95% and 10% contingency for non-response were used to calculate a sample size of 240 students. The Central Statistical Office report on “Education in the 2017/2018 school year” [ 23 ] provides that the representation of women in high schools in the Lower Silesian Voivodship was equal to 60.8%, which was also reflected in the gender structure of our study group.

2.3. Ethical Considerations

The adult students gave written consent for their participation in the project, while the same was provided by parents or guardians of the underage students. The study was voluntary and anonymous. The students could withdraw from participation at any stage. The project was approved by the Bioethics Committee at the Wroclaw Medical University, Poland (KB–575/2016).

2.4. Study Outcomes

For the purposes of this study, the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour (QEB) was used to assess the participants’ eating behaviours and opinions on food and nutrition [ 24 , 25 ]. The questionnaire covered an examination of: (i) Eating Habits (21 questions), (ii) Frequency of Food Consumption (21 questions), (iii) Opinion on Food and Nutrition (25 questions), (iv) Self-Assessment of Diet, Nutrition Knowledge and its Sources (4 questions), (v) personal data (8 questions). More detailed, the first and second parts of the questionnaire examined, the frequency of meal consumption and typical compositions of the participants’ meals (breakfast—12 items, dinner—14 items, supper—12 items), the frequency of selected product consumption (the scale: never/1–3 times a month/once a week/a few times a week/once a day/several times a day). The third part of the questionnaire consisted of 25 statements regarding food and nutrition, allowing the authors to assess the level of participants’ nutrition knowledge. During data processing, 37 respondents were removed from the data set for one of the following reasons: not answering the verification question (5 cases), not answering the question concerning the calculation of the diet indexes (31 cases) and not providing adequate answers (1 case).

Each participants’ body height was measured with a Seca 213 (Seca, Hamburg, Germany) body height meter (accuracy: 1 mm) while standing in an upright position without shoes. Each participant’s body weight was measured with a Tanita SC-240 MA (Tanita, Poznan, Poland) body composition analyser (accuracy: 100 g). The participant was requested to strip down to their underwear after emptying their bladder before the measurement was recorded.

BMI percentile grids for gender and age, developed as part of the OLAF and OLA project, were used to assess body mass levels, namely the degree of deficiency or excess of body mass, in the study population [ 26 ]. The remainder of the participants were classified according to the standards established by the WHO [ 27 ].

2.5. Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis of the collected data was carried out using the statistical package STATISTICA version 12 (Tibco, Tulsa, OK, USA). Quantitative variables were depicted in terms of the mean value ± standard deviation as well as minimum and maximum. Qualitative variables were depicted in terms of percentage distribution. The Mann–Whitney U test and Chi-square test (with Yates’ correction where necessary) were used to compare the distributions of the quantitative and qualitative variables among the females and males, respectively. The choice of non-parametric methods was dictated by the failure to meet the assumption of the normal distribution of the measured variables verified with the Shapiro–Wilk test. The analysis of the relationships between the qualitative features measurable on an ordinal scale was carried out using the gamma coefficient. Results with p ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

At the time of joining the project, the average age of the participants was 17.8 ± 0.9 years, with 15-year-olds accounting for less than 1%; 16-year-olds, for 15%; 17-year-olds, for 7%; 18-year-olds, for 61%; and 19-year-olds, for 16%. More than half of the students lived in a town with more than 100,000 residents and 28% resided in the countryside. Most of the participants (76%) lived with their parents and 17% resided with a multi-generational family. Less than 5% lived alone. Approximately 55% of the students assessed their financial situation as “average” and 37% as “above average”.

The average body height was 165.9 ± 6.0 cm for the females and 179.4 ± 6.4 cm for the males ( p < 0.001), while the corresponding values for body weight were 59.8 ± 10.1 kg and 71.9 ± 11.8 kg ( p < 0.001) ( Table 1 ). The results of the analysis showed that the average BMI was 21.7 ± 3.4 kg/m 2 for the females and 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m 2 for the males ( p = 0.036), with 71.1% of the females and 78.0% of the males being within the norm ( p = 0.170). Impaired weight–height proportions (i.e., overweight and obesity) were found in 15.6% of the females and 16.5% of the males ( Table 1 ).

Baseline characteristics of study participants.

3.1. Frequency of Food Consumption

The diets of the males exhibited a significantly higher intensity of adverse health traits compared to those of the females (8.1% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.002), but they did not differ in terms of the intensity of the beneficial health features ( Table 1 ).

Compared to the females, the males tended to consume fast food (23.4% vs. 7.8%, p < 0.001), fried food (73.0% vs. 54.5%, p = 0.002), cheese (73.0% vs. 57.8%, p = 0.011), meat products and meals (92.8% vs. 73.2%, p < 0.001), sweetened carbonated beverages (35.1% vs. 20.1%, p = 0.006) and alcoholic beverages daily (2.7% vs. 0%, p = 0.040) significantly more often ( Table 2 ).

Women and men’s food consumption frequency.

* consumption at least once a day.

Moreover, compared to their female counterparts, the males consumed more often sweetened hot drinks with two or more teaspoons of sugar (45.0% vs. 29.6%, p = 0.011) and chose to drink strong alcoholic liquors (25.6% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.020) ( Appendix A ).

Further, the males consumed fruits significantly less frequently than the females (34.2% vs. 51.3%, p = 0.006), replacing them with fruit, vegetable, or fruit–vegetable juices (24.3% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.004) ( Table 2 ).

3.2. Eating Habits

The analysis of eating habits showed that the students usually consumed 3–4 meals a day ( Appendix A ). The males ate meals at fixed times more often than the females ( p = 0.012). Most of the students (approximately 83%) ate between meals, usually from several times a week to several times a day. The most frequently chosen snacks were fruits, which were significantly more often preferred by the females (61.5% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.041), as well as candies and cookies. Moreover, the females ate nuts, almonds, seeds and pips significantly more often (25.6% vs. 13.8%, p = 0.039).

More than 70% of the respondents reported typically consuming bread for breakfast, with mixed bread (wheat-rye) being the most popular choice, although the females ate wholemeal and Graham bread significantly more often than the males (21.4% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.043). Over 60% of the participants reported consuming butter and meat and ham; the latter was chosen significantly more often by the males (66.4% vs. 40.5%, p < 0.001). The females chose fruits or vegetables more often for breakfast (45.8% vs. 23.4%, p < 0.001). Most of the individuals consumed their first meal of the day with tea or coffee. Supper comprised items similar to those eaten at breakfast, although the males preferred hot meals (38.3% vs. 22.7%, p = 0.007). Approximately 65% of the students consumed soup during lunch. The second course in most cases consisted of meat, significantly more often for the males (94.6% vs. 75.3%, p < 0.001). The second course also included potatoes (consumed by >70% of the respondents) and grain products (eaten by 56% of the respondents), mostly rice and pasta, together with vegetable salads or cooked vegetables, especially among the females (57.8% vs. 41.4%, p = 0.009). The most commonly consumed meat was poultry and significantly more females than males reported preferring it (88.2% vs. 66.3%, p < 0.001). The males reported significantly more beef consumption (42.6% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.001), usually fried in vegetable oil or roasted. Most students did not add salt or added it only occasionally to the ready meals at the table. More than 70% of the students consumed plain water, with almost 40% reporting drinking at least six glasses a day.

3.3. Opinion on Food and Nutrition

Over half of the males were characterised as having an insufficient level of knowledge about food and nutrition (53.5% vs. 30.8%, p < 0.001) ( Table 3 ). The analysis of the answers provided for the 25 questions on food and nutrition showed that more than half of the correct answers were given by 27% of the females and 15% of the males ( p = 0.018). Moreover, 25% of the females and 46% of the males were unsure about their knowledge (i.e., they answered “I have no opinion” for more than half of the statements) ( p < 0.001). The majority of the incorrect answers (>12) were provided by 2% of the males (none of the female respondents provided more than 12 incorrect answers).

Women and men’s level of nutritional knowledge, self-assessment of the diet and nutritional knowledge and its sources.

Regardless of the gender, the study revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between the level of knowledge and the healthy diet index (gamma correlation coefficient: 0.42, p < 0.001) and a negative relationship between the level of nutrition knowledge and the unhealthy diet index (gamma correlation coefficient: −0.66, p < 0.001). Moreover, those who reported their financial situation as “above average” were significantly more likely to possess a good level of knowledge about food and nutrition (13.5% vs. 4.48%, p = 0.030).

3.4. Self-Assessment of Diet, Nutrition Knowledge and Its Sources

Nearly half of the students, regardless of gender, estimated that their diet on weekdays only slightly differs from that on weekends and holidays ( Table 3 ). Similarly, gender played no role in evaluating the participant’s diet; the majority rated their diet as “good”. However, it is important to note that almost 40% of the participants assessed their diet as either “bad” or “very bad”. The female participants’ self-assessment of their nutrition knowledge was primarily “sufficient” (56%) or “good” (29%), while that of the males was “sufficient” (53%) but showed a clear shift in responses towards “insufficient” (21%). Approximately 50% of both genders indicated family and/or relatives as their most important source of nutrition knowledge. In addition, the responses indicated other sources of knowledge, namely websites, which were used more often by the females (56.9% vs. 45.5%, p = 0.079), as well as school and doctor, dietician or nutrition advisor, which were indicated equally by both genders.

4. Discussion

The increase in the number of young people being diagnosed as overweight or obese presents a major clinical problem. Worldwide, the number of overweight and obese children and adolescents (ages: 5–19 years) has increased tenfold in the last four decades [ 28 ]. In the last 20 years, the number of such cases has tripled in Poland. According to the available reports, overweight and obesity affect approximately 10% of young children (1–3 years), 30% of early school-age children and almost 22% of adolescents (those up to 15 years of age) in Poland [ 29 ].

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data indicate that between 2015 and 2016, the occurrence of obesity was higher among adolescents aged 6–11 years (18.4%) and those aged 12–19 years (20.6%) compared to children aged 2–5 years (13.9%) [ 30 ]. According to the research conducted by the Food and Nutrition Institute in Warsaw (Poland), obesity affects approximately 16% of school children and adolescents (i.e., those aged 6–19 years), of which almost 15.4% are girls and 19.9% are boys [ 31 ]. A meta-analysis on the occurrence of obesity among Turkish children and adolescents revealed an increase from 0.6% to 7.3% between 1990–1995 and 2011–2015 [ 32 ]. Our study also shows excess body weight in 15.6% of the females and 16.5% of the males aged between 15 and 19 years.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence is associated with an increased likelihood of premature death and disability in adulthood, placing a heavy burden on individuals and societies worldwide while entailing enormous medical care and treatment costs and lowering the quality of life [ 33 , 34 ]. Nutrition behaviour, a lifestyle element, has a significant impact on health and quality of life. Poor nutrition behaviours may contribute to many disorders, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and posture defects [ 35 ].

Unfortunately, the results of many studies in Poland indicate an increase in nutrition irregularities, especially among children and adolescents. According to the recommendations concerning nutrition for young people, daily food intake should be divided into five meals at 3–4 h intervals. Our research results indicate that, on average, adolescents consumed 3–4 meals a day. Similar results were obtained by Czarniecka-Skubina and Namyslaw [ 36 ] for students aged 16–21 years. On the other hand, Kiciak et al. [ 37 ] found that half of the examined adolescents in their study ate 4–5 daily meals, with boys tending to eat more meals. These results were also confirmed by Kocka et al. [ 38 ], who surveyed a group of high school students and reported that more than half of the respondents (53.33%) consumed 4–5 meals a day. Interestingly, regular consumption of all meals was declared by only a small percentage of the participants (11.85%). It was also reported that almost thrice as high, but it is still lower than the ideal rate [ 38 ].

Consuming fewer meals during the day and taking longer breaks between them is conducive to snacking, another irregularity in eating habits. Over 80% of the youth in this research confirmed snacking between meals, from several times a week to several times a day. The most commonly chosen snacks were fruits and sweets. Similarly, Jasinska [ 18 ] reported that over 90% of the study participants admitted to snacking between meals with varying frequency, with boys tending to practice this habit more than girls and the most frequently declared snacks being sandwiches, fruit and fruit yoghurts. In addition, Wouters et al. [ 39 ] showed a significant relationship between the strength of the habit and the momentary energy intake from snacking between meals: the greater the strength of snacking between meals, the greater the amount of energy consumed.

More than half of the males and one-third of the females in this study, were characterised as having an insufficient level of knowledge about food and nutrition. This research confirms Cieslik et al.’s [ 40 ] findings, which unequivocally indicate that young people tend to have only a satisfactory nutrition knowledge level. A European multi-centre cross-sectional study called HELENA examined the nutrition knowledge of youth aged 12.5–17.5 years and confirmed low levels, indicating a positive relationship between nutrition knowledge and food choices [ 41 ]. Indeed, our research confirms these findings. This study also reported that the females had better nutrition knowledge, supported by research conducted at other centres. This result also corresponds with the common opinion that young females care more about their health and physical appearance than young males.

Given the low awareness of nutrition among youth, it is crucial to control their sources of nutrition-related knowledge. The results of this work indicate that adolescents typically obtain this information from their families. Parents influence their offspring through their views, dietary preferences, or behaviours. Frequently, insufficient parents’ nutrition knowledge may translate into dietary mistakes made by their children [ 42 , 43 ]. Thus, it is important to verify parents’ level of nutrition knowledge as well. However, this aspect was not considered during the design stage of this research, thus constituting a limitation of this study.

The available literature also emphasises the need to diversify youths’ diets with products from various food groups, given the need to supplement the body with all the nutrients required for health and growth. It is important to include vegetables and fruits in every meal because they are a rich source of antioxidants such as provitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenolic compounds, while avoiding potentially harmful products such as fast food. The frequency analysis of the consumption of various food groups revealed that the examined youth’s diet contained insufficient amounts of products with contents beneficial to health. This outcome may be due to the low variation in the youths’ diets, consequently exposing them to diseases resulting from nutrient deficiencies. Fortunately, potentially harmful food products rarely appeared in the diets of the respondents. The report “Health and Health Behaviours of Polish Residents in the Light of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) 2014” obtained from the Central Statistical Office showed that 73% of children consume fruits once a day or more often, while only 62% eat vegetables and 4% of children eat no vegetables or eat them less than once a week [ 44 ].

The increasing occurrence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents requires dietary interventions to reverse this trend. This research indicates the necessity of monitoring and evaluating pro- and anti-health dietary behaviours, which will enable early diagnosis and prevention of diseases of civilisation. Focusing this process on the specific needs of a group will increase its effectiveness. The high percentage of young people with insufficient nutrition knowledge points to creating educational programs in this context. This study may be a starting point for such projects aimed at young people in Poland. The goal is to raise their level of nutrition literacy to encourage and consolidate positive health habits among them.

Study Limitations

According to the authors, the main methodological limitation of the study was the use of the QEB questionnaire, which is a very extensive and detailed tool. The fact is that it allows a complete characterisation of eating behaviour and knowledge about food and nutrition. Nevertheless, the completion required focus and attention from the respondent, which can be difficult in this age group. According to the data processing procedure for the questionnaire, 12% of the respondents who answered the questions incorrectly or did not give all the answers were removed from the sample. This also may indicate that the QEB is too complicated an instrument to be used among young people, although according to the authors, it is dedicated from the age of 16. Further studies may also use more objective measurement tools to assess the impact of dietary habits on children and adolescents’ health status.

Another potential limitation may be the relatively small sample size (however, the estimation showed that 240 people is relevant for this study). This reflects the low level of interest among high school principals about participating in the project (25% positive responses). On the other hand, the coordinators appointed by the principals were able to encourage/recruit only 20–25% of given school students. The argument dominating the reasons for refusing to participate in the project was students’ need to complete compulsory educational activities, whereas a full survey required 60 min of commitment from a single respondent. Thus, further research needs to improve principals, teachers and students’ motivation to participate in the project.

5. Conclusions

The diet of the vast majority of the adolescents examined in this work was characterised by excessively low contents of pro-health food products. Every tenth young male was found to follow a diet that will likely increase their adverse health traits. Over half of the young males and every third young female in this study possessed insufficient knowledge about food and nutrition. Regardless of gender, the level of these youth’s knowledge was closely related to the intensities of beneficial and adverse health traits in a diet. Due to their insufficient knowledge, young people may make nutrition mistakes, resulting in the development of overweight and obesity and other diet-related diseases in the future. The irregularities identified in this study indicate the urgent need to educate young people about following pro-healthy eating habits and raise their awareness about the diseases of civilisation associated with poor eating habits.

5.1. Research Directions

It is important to prevent difficulties in recruiting participants for the project. For this purpose, it is necessary to establish cooperation with institutions that supervise public health in schools, making it mandatory for schools to participate in such a project. The study revealed that the time of measurements should be shortened, for instance, by creating two independent measuring stations. A platform for fulfilling the questionnaires via the internet should be created to avoid missing and incorrect data. The latter may include the options of individual results viewing and a simple statistical summary. In light of low nutritional awareness among young people, there is also a need to verify their parents’ nutritional knowledge, who constitute one of the primary sources of nutritional knowledge of students—their children.

5.2. Practical Implications

Although many national and regional programs on nutritional education and the realisation of nutritional content in the school curriculum, nutritional knowledge and the resulting behaviours in children and adolescents are still lacking. Therefore, educational activities should be integrated by introducing a school subject in nutrition, which teachers would introduce with appropriate professional qualifications and practical skills.

Acknowledgments

There were no other contributors to the article than the authors. The highly qualified academic native speaker provided the certified English language services.

Women and men’s eating habits.

Author Contributions

Conceptualisation: S.M. and A.F.; methodology: S.M., A.F., D.W. and M.S.-Ś.; software: D.W. and M.S.-Ś.; validation: S.M. and A.F.; formal analysis: S.M., A.F. and D.W.; investigation: S.M. and A.F.; resources: S.M. and A.F.; data curation: S.M. and M.S.-Ś.; writing—original draft preparation: S.M.; writing—review and editing: A.F., D.W. and M.S.-Ś.; visualisation: D.W. and M.S.-Ś.; supervision: A.F. and M.S.-Ś.; project administration: S.M., A.F., D.W. and M.S.-Ś.; funding acquisition: S.M. and M.S.-Ś. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Please add: This research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland under Statutory Grant of the Wroclaw Medical University for maintaining research potential (no. ST–E140.16.057, no. SUB.E140.21.108).

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Bioethics Committee at the Wroclaw Medical University, Poland (no. KB– 575/2016).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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About Healthy Growth and Weight
Water and Healthier Drinks
Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight
Steps for Losing Weight
Tips for Physical Activity and Your Weight
Tips for Parents and Caregivers
External Resources
Be Sugar Smart
Rethink Your Drink

About Healthy Weight and Growth

Parents and caregivers can help children have healthy growth and a healthy weight.

Achieving healthy growth and weight includes healthy eating, physical activity, optimal sleep, and stress reduction.
There are several ways to eat well, be physically active, and maintain a healthy weight.

Why it's important

Healthy eating, physical activity, optimal sleep , and stress reduction are important to achieving optimal health and managing weight as you age. Several other factors may also affect weight gain.

People who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions .

In addition to the tips below, see other information that can help.

Eat healthy foods

Healthy eating means incorporating a variety of healthy foods into your eating pattern. Fad diets promise fast results. However, such diets limit your nutritional intake, can be unhealthy, and tend to fail in the long run. See these tips instead:

Photograph of a son, mother, grandmother preparing bittermelon and chicken.

Tips for Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight

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Be Smart About Sugar

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How to Have Healthier Meals and Snacks

Nutrition Facts Label and Your Health

Steps for Improving Your Eating Habits

Limit sugary drinks

About Water and Healthier Drinks

Tracking food and drinks‎

Be physically active.

How much physical activity you need depends on your age and whether you are trying to maintain your weight or lose weight. Walking is often a good way to add more physical activity to your lifestyle.

Two women walking up stairs while carrying hand weights.

Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health

Steps for Getting Started With Physical Activity

Tracking physical activity‎

Manage your weight.

You can use the body mass index (BMI) calculator as a screening tool for your weight. See more information to help manage your weight.

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Tips for Maintaining Healthy Weight

Healthy Habits: Fruits and Vegetables to Manage Weight

Tips for Keeping Weight Off

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Tips for Cutting Calories

Help children

Mother and daughter preparing vegetables at the kitchen table.

Tips to Support Healthy Routines for Children and Teens

Preventing Childhood Obesity: 6 Things Families Can Do

Adopt healthy habits

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Healthy Habits: Enhancing Immunity

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How to Have Healthier Holidays in 1-2-3!

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Healthy Weight and Growth

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Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — Eating Habits — Nutrition as an Important Aspect of Our Life: Physical & Mental Health

Nutrition as an Important Aspect of Our Life: Physical & Mental Health

Categories: Dieting Eating Habits Nutrition

About this sample

Words: 2716 |

14 min read

Published: May 17, 2022

Words: 2716 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read

Introduction, associated health conditions due to improper nutrition, benefits of proper nutrition, managing proper nutrients, works cited, what is nutrition, what is physical well-being.

eating for Health
detoxing Body
eating a proper diet
regular physical exercise.

Why Physical Wellness is important

Physical Activity
Mental Well-Being

Why nutrition is important

Increased energy
Improved sleep quality
Improved mood and mental wellbeing
Helping you maintain a healthy body weight
Clearer skin
Lowering the risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Impact of Nutrition on our Health

Nutrition and chronic diseases.

Diabetes. Diabetes happens when the body can’t make enough insulin or utilize the insulin appropriately. Type 2 diabetes is frequently found in patients who are overweight or stout. The absence of physical activity and a fatty diet are ordinarily found in people determined to have Type 2 diabetes.
Cardiovascular sickness. Coronary illness is the No. 1 enemy of people in most of the country Cardiovascular conditions as it frequently brought about by an unhealthy diet and a decrease in physical movement. Diets high in soaked fats and cholesterol increment the danger of blood coagulating. Diets that are rich in sodium can bring about raised circulatory strain, adding to coronary illness. On the off chance that an individual with a drinking problem leads to an arterial problem can lead to a higher possibility for creating cardiovascular sickness.
Lung ailment. Numerous individuals don’t understand their food utilization influences how well they relax. For individuals experiencing COPD, a dynamic lung illness that makes breathing troublesome, eating admirably is significant. A poor diet can prompt weight gain, thusly prompting expanded weight on the lungs, which influences relaxation.
Eating disorders. An ‘eating disorder’ is an abnormal attitude towards food which causes someone to change their eating behaviors. This definition includes a range of conditions, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which affect a person’s physical and psychological wellbeing.
Weekend immune system. Deficient in a balanced diet can prompt poor immune system framework and poor wound healing, particularly in adults. Lacking in vitamin A, B nutrients, and zinc can lead to a weakened immune system, which can lead to problems dor the individual to fight against disease, as indicated by Harvard Medical School.
Sleep and stress. Poor nutrition can lead to disturbance in the individual sleep, which can affect its overall health and lead to mental stress. Disturbance in sleep often suppresses the efficiency of immunity also. Therefore lack in sleep also causes many neurological problems as well.
Osteoporosis or weak, brittle bones, can result from a lack of dietary calcium – or reduced calcium absorption in our body. An increased risk for developing osteoporosis includes postmenopausal women, women with eating disorders such as anorexia, people who avoid dairy products, and vegetarians. Dairy products are a good source of calcium, for those who don’t consume dairy foods to meet their daily calcium requirements. Calcium-fortified foods and beverages – like some breakfast cereals, brands of orange juice, tofu, soy milk, almond milk, and soy yogurt – are excellent sources of dietary calcium. Many multivitamin supplements are also rich in calcium.

Heart Health

Bone and teeth strength, higher energy levels, mind health, weight control, tackling the inflammatory phase with proper nutrition, helps in recovery from existing disease, have a proper timetable for intake of food, avoid taking excess or lower diet, current situation related to topic covid-19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Nutrition for Everyone. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/index.html
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2018). Nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/nutrition-overview
World Health Organization. (2015). Nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-topics/nutrition#tab=tab_1
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2021). The Nutrition Source. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
American Heart Association. (2021). Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Nutrition and Healthy Eating. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating
National Institutes of Health. (2021). Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/
United States Department of Agriculture. (2020). ChooseMyPlate. Retrieved from https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
American Psychological Association. (2020). Nutrition and Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/nutrition/
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2022). Eat Right. Retrieved from https://www.eatright.org/

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The Role of Nutrition in Human Health

The Impact of Unhealthy Eating Habits

Healthy Eating and Cognitive Function

Importance of Healthy Eating Habits in College Students

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Keep Active & Eat Healthy to Improve Well-being & Feel Great

Why should I move more and eat better?

“I don't have time.”

“I'm going to ruin my hairstyle.”

“It costs too much.”

“Physical activity is a chore.”

“I don't have time to cook healthy meals; I don’t really know how to cook.”

“Eating well costs too much.”

What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?

What clinical trials are open?

Healthy Eating Habits

Why Are Healthy Eating Habits Important?

Healthy Versus Unhealthy Eating Habits: What’s the Difference?

Why Should I Make Healthy Food Choices?

A Healthy Diet Can Help Prevent Disease

Food Choices Affect Your Mental Health

Eat a Healthy Diet and You May Lose Weight

Why Should I Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle?

How to Improve and Change Your Eating Habits

1. Make a Plan for Your New Healthy Diet

2. Save Your Lunch Money

3. Keep Unhealthy Foods Out of Sight

5. Take Baby Steps

6. Start a Journal to Monitor Food Choices

Establishing Healthy Eating Habits in Children

What Are Some Healthy Foods to Eat Every Day?

What Are Some Diets That Promote Balanced Eating?

One Last Thing on the Importance of Healthy Eating

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Healthy Lifestyle and Eating Essay

Health and Fitness Essay for Students and Children

Factors Affecting our Health and Fitness

Role of Nutritious Diet on our Health and Fitness

Impact of Exercise on our Health

Meditation, Yoga, and Health

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The importance of a healthy diet and exercise

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Evaluation of Eating Habits and Their Impact on Health among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Anna Felińczak

Magdalena Syrkiewicz-Świtała

Associated Data

1. Introduction

2. Materials and Methods

2.2. Sample Size

2.3. Ethical Considerations

2.4. Study Outcomes

2.5. Statistical Analysis

3.1. Frequency of Food Consumption

3.2. Eating Habits

3.3. Opinion on Food and Nutrition

3.4. Self-Assessment of Diet, Nutrition Knowledge and Its Sources

4. Discussion

Study Limitations

5. Conclusions

5.1. Research Directions