Nutrition, Diet and Health Promotion
What this domain tests
Nutrition, Diet and Health Promotion tests the balanced diet, functions of nutrients, nutritional assessment such as BMI, therapeutic diets, oral rehydration and health education. Expect calculations and practical advice for common conditions.
Core rules and concepts
- Macronutrients supply energy and building material: carbohydrates and fats mainly energy, proteins for growth and repair. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.
- A balanced diet includes cereals, pulses and legumes, vegetables and fruits, milk and milk products, fats and oils in moderation, and adequate water.
- BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Adult BMI below 18.5 is underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 normal, 25 to 29.9 overweight, and 30 and above obese.
- Therapeutic diets: low-salt for hypertension, low-sugar for diabetes, high-fibre for constipation, soft or liquid diets for chewing difficulty.
- ORS for diarrhoea: use a standard sachet in 1 litre clean water, or 1 litre water with 6 level teaspoons sugar and half a teaspoon salt.
- Health promotion includes immunisation, safe water, hand hygiene, tobacco control and nutrition education.
Worked example. A 60 kg person is 1.6 m tall. Reasoning: height squared is 1.6 multiplied by 1.6, which equals 2.56 square metres. BMI is 60 divided by 2.56, which equals 23.4 kg per square metre. This falls in the normal range of 18.5 to 24.9. The advice should be to maintain the balanced diet and activity, not to start a weight-loss diet.
Traps that cost marks
Do not forget to square the height in metres. Do not make ORS stronger; too much salt is dangerous. Do not treat BMI as a diagnosis. Do not advise stopping prescribed medicines in favour of diet alone.