Healthy Eating 11limited salt intake of 6 g per day, eating unsaturated fats from olive oil
and oily fish rather than saturated fats from butter and margarine, and
consuming complex carbohydrates (e.g., bread and pasta) rather than
simple carbohydrates (e.g., sugar). It is also recommended that men aged
between 19 and 59 consume about 2,550 calories per day and that similarly
aged women consume about 1,920 calories per day, although this depends
on body size and degree of physical activity (Department of Health, 1995).
Recommendations for children are less restrictive for fatty foods and dairy
products, and it is suggested that parents should not restrict the fat intake
of children aged under 2. By 5 years old, however, children should be
consuming a diet similar to that recommended for adults, indicating that
a child’s fat intake should be gradually reduced between the ages of 2 and 5.
Prentice and Paul (2000) argued that the fat requirements for children can
be judged in terms of sufficient fat in the diet to provide fuel for energy,
to give an adequate supply of essential fatty acids, and to allow the adequate
absorption of fat-soluble minerals. Children therefore need more fat than
adults, and for younger children breast milk is an essential source of fat,
particularly in developing countries where weaning foods tend to be low
in fat. Children also require more dairy products than adults to meet their
greater need for calcium.
Current recommendations for healthy eating in adults therefore describe
a balanced and varied diet which is high in fruit and vegetables and com-
plex carbohydrates and low in fat. Children’s diets should approximate this,
but can be higher in fat and dairy products. Healthy eating is considered
important as it impacts on health in two main ways. First, a healthy diet
can be protective against the development of illness, while an unhealthy
diet may contribute towards disease. Second, a healthy diet can help manage
or treat an illness once a diagnosis has been made. Over recent years there
has been a proliferation of research into the association between diet and
health. Much of this remains controversial, and even the most generally
accepted “facts” have not been left uncontested. What is presented here reflects
the state of research at this time.
The Role of Diet in Contributing to Illness
An individual’s health is influenced by a multitude of factors including
their genetic makeup, their behavior, and their environment. Diet plays a
central role and can contribute directly towards health. It can also impact