SCI115: Week 10 Assignment Page 1

Dietary Needs for Patient with Diabetes

Assignment Overview
For this assignment, you will answer questions about a client named Mrs. Ritchie. You will analyze
the dietary needs and risks for patients who have Type 2 diabetes. Using your textbook and the
internet you will identify the best recommendations, risks, and needs of a patient in Mrs. Ritchie’s
condition, based on the questions asked. You are required to include citations of your references.
This assignment is intended to explore differences between macronutrient and micronutrient concepts
and describe their physiological functioning. Additionally, you will apply human nutritional theories and
relevant research to formulate nutritional assessments and describe nutritional requirements
corresponding to stages in the life span. You will also examine how effective nutritional counseling is
contingent upon collaboration, organization, and concurrence among the members of the health care
team.

Case Study:
Mrs. Cynthia Ritchie is a 45-year-old female, 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 245 lbs. She has
gained 50 pounds in the past year. She has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Testing
revealed that her A1c is 10.2. Her blood pressure is 135/90. She complains of blurry vision.
Mrs. Ritchie typically skips breakfast, eats lunch and a large dinner. Her favorite foods include
pasta, rice, and fruit. She eats many meals “on-the-go” as a result of a busy schedule. Mrs.
Ritchie meets with her physician and is started on metformin and is referred to a dietitian for
nutritional counseling. She would like to explore dietary interventions to improve her health
and reduce her A1c.

Assignment Details:
Perform the following tasks:
 Complete the reading assignment before attempting this assignment.
 Please review your reading for this week as well as the Case Study located in Week 10 of your
online course.

 Use your text and the internet to respond (in approximately 250 words) to the following
(provide your responses in the Assignment Worksheet section on page 2):
o Based on what you learned about Mrs.Ritchie in your interview, briefly explain her
modifiable risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
o Based on your client’s A1c, what does this tell you about her blood sugar control?
Define a normal A1c.
o Create a healthy breakfast option for your client that includes a carbohydrate, protein,
and heart healthy fat. Explain the importance of eating all three macronutrients. How
does this influence blood sugar?
o Discuss the medical complications that could arise if your client does not seek treatment
for her diabetes?
SCI115: Week 10 Assignment Page 2

o Briefly discuss three nutritional interventions that you would suggest to your client to
improve her A1c and reduce the risk of other health complications.
 Submit the Week 10 Assignment via Blackboard by clicking on the “Week 10 Assignment” link.

 Include the proper file naming convention: SCI115_wk10_assn_jsmith_mmddyyyy.

Refer to the Writing Conventions in the Written Assignment Rubric for detailed grading information.

Grading:

Gradable items in assignment Points

Explained risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. 5
Discussion of clients A1c 2.5
Created a healthy breakfast for your client 2.5
Discussion of complications of Type 2 diabetes 2.5
Three dietary interventions for Type 2 diabetes 5
Adhere to the Writing Conventions. 2.5
Total Points 20

Assignment Worksheet:

Respond to the following (in approximately 250 words) in the spaces provided:

 Based on what you learned about Mrs. Ritchie in your interview, briefly explain her modifiable
risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
The highest risk of getting Type 2 diabetes is obesity. This can be dealth with by lowering the
body weight by 5 to 7 percent. A big modifiable factor to getting Type 2 diabetes is physical
inactivity. This can be modified by increasing physical activity. High blood pressure is also a
factor in having Type 2 diabetes. It causes damage to the cardiovascular system. If left
untreated it has been shown to be linked to the development of diabetes. This can also be
managed by light physical activity.

 Based on your client’s A1c, what does this tell you about her blood sugar control? Define a
normal A1c.
A1c keeps blood glucose levels in an acceptable range. It transports oxygen from the lungs
into tissues. During high glucose levels, glucose molecules enter redblood cells, which bind to
hemoglobin forming HbA1c. Mrs. Ritchies A1c is higher than it should be even for having
diabetes. Mrs. Ritchies A1c levels should be around 6.5% or higher. A normal A1c is around
4% to 5.6%. Mrs. Ritchies levels are way above this.
SCI115: Week 10 Assignment Page 3

 Create a healthy breakfast option for your client that includes a carbohydrate, protein, and
heart healthy fat. Explain the importance of eating all three macronutrients. How does this
influence blood sugar?
Having good nutrition, meal prepping, and weight control are all good ways to manage
diabetes. It is very important to control caloric intake to maintain a reasonable body weight,
control glucose levels, and have a normal range of lipids and blood pressure to prevent heart
disease. It is also important to provide your body with all of the essential foods necessary for
optimal nutrition.

 What complications could arise if your client does not seek treatment for her Type 2 diabetes?
If Mrs. Ritchie does not seek treatment for her Type 2 diabetes she is at risk of becoming
hypoglycaemic. She is also at risk of having diabetic neuropathy as well as macrovascular
problems.

 List three interventions that would improve your client’s blood sugar control.
1. Implementing exercise into Mrs. Ritchie’s daily lifestyle wold help decrease blood sugar and
increase production of insulin. As a result this lowers glucose levels.
2. It would also help to check blood glucose levels before exercising to help ensure that they
are lowering.
3. Reducing body weight is also a way to improve blood glucose levels.