PURPOSE
The purpose of this assessment is for you to demonstrate your ability to access and use information about diet and nutrition to complete a number of case studies.
You must also demonstrate an ability to only provide information both in accordance with the Australian Dietary Guidelines (2013) and within the scope of your job role.
Case Studies
Case Study 1 Part A
You're having lunch with some of your colleagues and one of them asks your opinion on whether you think the food she is eating is healthy. The following picture is the nutrition label on the food.
1. Draw on your knowledge of the Australian Dietary Guidelines to answer the questions below:
a) Do you think that this is a healthy food choice?
b) What makes you think this?
c) How would you explain what makes a healthy diet to your colleague?
2. Your colleague asks what vitamin C 2% means. How would you explain this to her? Include an explanation of RDIs and toxicity in your answer.
3. Your colleague would like to know some more information about vitamin C; briefly explain the following:
a. What is vitamin C?
b. How does this process occur in the body?
c. List three (3) quality sources of vitamin C.
4. Your colleague comments that there are only 310 calories in this food. Briefly explain how you would teach her about interpreting labels and serving numbers.
5. Briefly explain what information on a food label might influence someone's decision to purchase or not purchase a type of food product; include in your explanation how food manufacturers may overcome this.
6. Your colleague mentions that she has intolerance to preservative 220. Based on this information answer the questions below:
a. Which preservative is this and where would you find it on a food label?
b. List two (2) symptoms of intolerance to this preservative.
c. Do food intolerances or food allergies cause severe allergic reactions?
Part B
Another colleague mentions he has been on a vegetarian/vegan diet his entire life as he is Hindu but he would also like to try a sugar-free diet. This gets everyone chatting about a number of current popular diets and you all decide to document the pros and cons of each.
Complete the following table, highlighting the major pros and cons of each diet including which diets might assist in the prevention of specific chronic disease. The sugar free diet has been done as an example for you.
Case Study 2
Jessica, a client of yours, has come to see you for a beauty treatment. Jessica is obese and during your consultation she tells you she has a very poor relationship with food. She also thinks she has developed food intolerances to some fruits and vegetables which means she is now living on a fast food diet because she's finding it too difficult to know what to eat.
1. What are some of your nutrition concerns regarding her diet?
2. How would you help Jessica determine if she has an allergy or intolerance?
3. "Disordered eating refers to a wide range of abnormal eating behaviors, many of which are shared with diagnosed eating disorders. The main thing differentiating disordered eating from an eating disorder is the level of severity and frequency of behaviors." (EatingDisorders.org.au, 2015). Based on this definition, do you think that Jessica has disordered eating or an eating disorder? What makes you think this?
4. What chronic health conditions is Jessica at risk of developing?
5. Jessica says she has been following a website called The Acidic Truth which covers acid/alkaline diets and acid/alkaline food charts. Jessica thinks that she should be eating a more alkaline diet and eating only specific foods. What advice would you give her?
6. Who should you refer Jessica to for assistance with her diet? Why did you choose this professional?
7. Within your role as a beauty therapist, what are your legal responsibilities with Jessica? What are the limitations on the advice you can give her?
Case Study 3
Your practice has been approached by the local school, to do a short presentation for their grade 6 cohort on the role of nutrition and diet within the beauty industry. This presentation will be a part of their "Healthy Careers" unit.
Part A
You decide to begin the presentation with a diagram of the digestive system where you will explain the movement of food through the system and where each of the following processes occur (HINT - it may occur in more than one location):
- Absorption
- Chemical digestion
- Defection
- Propulsion
- Ingestion
- Mechanical digestion
(Tortora & Derrickson, 2014, p.968)
In your explanation, you must:
1. Explain what our metabolism is and why these processes are essential to energy metabolism
2. Explain why each of these processes are important from a health/beauty perspective
3. Use the correct terminology when describing the structures of the digestive system (i.e. oesophagus, small intestine, large intestine etc.)
Part B.
You have also been asked to explain to the children why fruits and vegetables are so good for them and are an important part of their diet. You decide to design a visual aid to assist with your explanation.
Design an A4 sized infographic / poster that would appeal to children and that they could take home to their parents.
Make sure you include the following information:
- Micronutrients found in popular fruit and veg
- Major functions of these micronutrients
- Recommended serves of fruit and veg per day
- Fun ideas to encourage more fruit and veg eating