PURDUE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

HW320 Contemporary Diet and Nutrition

Nutrition
Education
Guide
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 PURDUE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

Nutrition Education Guide

Alyssa Ward
Purdue University Global
HW320: Contemporary Diet and Nutrition
Unit 9 Assignment
 Table of Contents
Introduction
UNIT 1 D IETA R Y TR END S A ND NUTR ITION

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 2 F OOD C HOIC ES

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 3 F OOD C HOIC ES: EC ONOMIC S

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 4 F OOD C HOIC ES: F OOD B OR NE IL L NESSES

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 5 GENETIC A L L Y ENGINEER ED F OOD

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 6 THE OR GA NIC F OOD MOV EMENT

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 7 GL OB A L F OOD MA R KETS

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 8 C ONTEMPOR A R Y WEIGHT L OSS PR OGR A MS

Information to Remember
Resource
UNIT 9 D IV ER SITY OF F OOD C HOIC ES

Information to Remember
Resource
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Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 1 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Dietary Guidelines for Americans [2020-2025]
 Key learning point from the unit– Dietary guidelines change for many reasons including
new research, food industrialization, and societal demands. These guidelines impact
federal nutrition policies and programs such as SNAP and school lunches as well as guide
health promotion and disease prevention initiative (Health.gov, 2022). Earlier editions of
the government’s nutrition guidelines focused more on individuals of certain age-groups
or those who have chronic conditions or diseases whereas the latest Dietary Guidelines
for Americans is meant to be more inclusive giving recommendations for all persons
regardless of health status or age.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025

This website provides a full copy of the 2020-2025 dietary recommendations. It gives
information on the dietary pattern Americans should be trying to follow as well as
background information on how the guidelines are formed and influenced. This edition
had a large focus on the way people eat, not so much the specific foods or nutrients
because food is such an integrated part of our everyday living.

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 2
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 2 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Food lobbying
 Key learning point from the unit– Food lobbying is when a company spends money to try
to keep legislature in favor of their product or industry, such as with the dietary
guidelines or deregulation of advertising. Marion Nestle has been a long-time consumer
advocate for a healthier food system for humans and the plant. Her 1993 book “Food
lobbies, the food pyramid, and the U.S. nutrition policy” highlights the conflict of the
federal protection of food-lobbyist promoting self-interest and the federal responsibility
to promote the nutritional health of the public.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Food & Beverage Lobbying Profile • OpenSecrets

This website gives an in-depth breakdown of how much many major companies are
spending just on lobbying. These figures do not include advertising, marketing, or
research and development. Junk food manufacturers spend huge amounts of money on
lobbying because they must keep people convinced their products are safe and healthy
to consume when part of a balanced diet. You don’t see farmers or whole-food
producers spending money like this because people don’t need to be coerced into
thinking produce is healthy.

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 3
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 3 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Food economics
 Key learning point from the unit– Economic influences such as price, availability, and
access can all have an impact on family’s food choices (USDA 2020). Many times, people
with lower income must choose between buying healthy food that probably won’t last
until the next paycheck or buying less healthy options that should sustain everyone until
the following grocery trip. People not experiencing financial hardships can also
encounter issues getting healthy food if availability or supply is interrupted.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Food Economics - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

This website lists several articles that go into great detail about how different initiatives
would impact food economics from improved transportation, better packaging, and
alternative animal feeds. It gives a multi-perspective view on how to make nutritious
food more widely available and affordable.

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 4
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 4 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Foodborne illness outbreaks
 Key learning point from the unit– Foodborne illnesses occur when an individual
consumes a food or beverage that has been contaminated with bacteria, a virus,
parasite, or chemical at some point in the production process (WHO, n.d.). Foodborne
illnesses can be mild to deadly and can spread quickly if not identified and corrected in a
timely manner. Some illness outbreaks are harder to track because symptoms can take
hours to days to weeks to show up and connecting the dots to an outbreak requires
communication between multiple agencies, sometimes over several states.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Investigating Outbreaks | Foodborne Outbreaks | Food Safety | CDC

This website allows you to track current or past foodborne illness outbreaks. If a
contaminate can be determined, the CDC will provide that information along with how it
got introduced into the food/beverage and steps to prevent it from happening again.
Plan-of-action steps to prevent future outbreaks can include things like proper hand
hygiene, safe cooking temperatures, and proper equipment sterilization. This website
also gives you the information on how to report an illness and how to read the reports
when an investigation is still ongoing.

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 5
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 5 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: GMOs
 Key learning point from the unit– GMOs [genetically modified organisms] are sometimes
referred to as bioengineered and are organisms that have had another species DNA
scientifically spliced into its own to produce a variety of outcomes. Some things GMO
technology is used to achieve are more nutritious or appetizing products, pest resistance,
herbicide resistance, and bacteria or virus resistance (Boston University, n.d.). GMOs
have been widely controversial for health worries for human and animal consumption as
well as ethical concerns even though farmers have been practicing this craft, albeit with
less science, for centuries.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – The United States' GMO Regulations - YouTube

This YouTube video by iGem was hands-down the most helpful thing I came across to
understand how the various government agencies work together to monitor and
regulate GMO’s. There are multiple agencies involved in the observation and approval of
bioengineered products that include the EPA, the FDA, the USDA, and BRS, just to name
a few.

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 6
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 6 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Organic vs traditional farming
 Key learning point from the unit– Organic labeling refers to the way the produce or
animals were grown, cared for, and processed. This means plants are grown without
GMOs, chemical pesticides, or synthetic fertilizer and livestock are grown without
antibiotics or GMO feed and must be given a safe and healthy habitat that includes
access to the outdoors (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Organic items tend to cost more at the store
because of the extra regulations they must meet to keep their organic certification.
These certifications must be renewed annually and are not cheap, especially for small
growers or farmers, so those overhead costs are passed down to the consumer.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Organic vs. Conventional (Synthetic) Pesticides: Advantages and
Disadvantages (vt.edu)

Sometimes it’s easy to assume organic means less dangerous than traditional or
synthetic products but that’s not always true for fertilizers. This article from Virginia
University does a really nice job explaining the pros and cons of organic vs non-organic
fertilizer and that one isn’t always safer than the other. They also go on to explain what
the label warnings actually mean when it says danger/poison, warning, or caution.

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 7
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 7 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Fast-food globalization
 Key learning point from the unit– Globalization is the spreading of a product, idea,
culture, tend, or food from one country to another. Not all globalization is bad but there
are moral and ethical concerns that should be evaluated. Some issues to be mindful of
are international economic dependence [if one economy goes down, it could cause a
domino effect], disproportionate financial growth for poorer or developing countries,
and exploiting cheap labor markets (Master Class 2020). In business, I think it is easy to
forget these deals of expansion or globalization are not just done pocket to pocket, but
rather person to person.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Fast food effects: Short-term, long-term, physical, mental, and more
(medicalnewstoday.com)

This website gives a great overview of more than just the nutritional harm fast-food can
cause. It does touch on the metabolic issues like blood sugar spikes, increased binge
eating, and high blood pressure risks that can come with this sort of convenience but it
also details how what we’re feeding our bodies also feeds our mind; put junk in, get junk
out.

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 8
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 8 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Pros and cons of weight loss drugs
 Key learning point from the unit– Weight loss medications have grown significantly in
popularity as Americans keep getting bigger and busier. According to HealthLine (2022),
currently 36.5% of adults are considered obese and another 32.5% of adults are
considered overweight. Although weight loss drugs may be appropriate for those who
have grave health issues due to their size or have lost control of their eating, these are
not sustainable for the long-term and should only be used as a last resort.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight & Obesity | NIDDK
(nih.gov)

This website provides a host of information that includes a list of all the current FDA
approved medications for weight loss along with who they are recommended for, how
they work, and the side effects. Some of the drugs have similar mechanisms of action but
an individual could still have a better response to one other the other. Understanding
these medications are not a miracle cure is the most important factor and that they will
only be as successful as your diet and exercise regimen.

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 9
Unit

Dietary Trends and Nutrition

Unit 9 Dietary Trends and

Nutrition
Information to Remember: Exercise and Nutrition Certifications
 Key learning point from the unit– After graduating, there are many optional certifications
available to providers and clients alike that address a host of specialties or specific
interests. Obtaining additional certifications or credentials makes you more marketable
in a competitive job market while showing you’re willing to put the extra effort into your
craft (Purdue Career Services, n.d.). Certifications can include subjects such as weight
management, health coaching, personal training, and elderly populations.

Resource:
 Web Site (1) – Best Fitness & Sports Nutrition Certification Programs | NCR
(nutritioncertificationreviews.com)

This website provides unbiased reviews of different certifications available in holistic

healing and preventative nutrition. They explain that many of these programs are still
new since the shift from making money from big-pharma institutes is still happening and
that there is good reason to be choosey. While almost all these programs offer the basics
in nutrition and exercise, only the really good offer behavioral modification and coaching
which will build lasting habits that a client can carry for the long-term. Changing the
mindset and relationship someone has with food is where this industry is heading and
that’s super exciting.

Part 2: Cultural Food Choice Explanation and Screenshot

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 The food culture I chose is Indian cuisine and the dish I made was chickpea and
spinach coconut curry. A few important features that consumers and practitioners should
understand about this food culture is the fact many people from India do not eat meat
especially beef, many Hindu Indians practice religious fasting, a significant portion of the
India population is lactose intolerant, and most of the dishes are very carb-heavy due to the
extensive use of legumes, chickpeas, rice, and their traditional bread roti or naan (Stanford
Medicine, 2019). Indian food uses an abundance of spices for flavor but some of them are
also believed to having healing properties and medicinal benefits.

I've made this dish before and will make it again because it is still one of my favorites;
it's filling but not heavy, spicy, and full of traditional yellow curry flavor. Indian food is always
my choice for making something nontraditional because it's so comforting and easily tailored
to a vegan diet. When you cook any kind of curry, it makes the whole house smell delightful
and warm for hours. Curry is also one of those dishes that's great to share with others
because it's impossible to make less than 4 servings. I didn't have any challenges making this
dish because it uses fairly common ingredients, but I have had to postpone making other
Indian dishes for a lack of specialty ingredients like coriander seed, garam marsala, or
tamarind paste.

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References:

Boston University (n.d.). Retrieved from:

Genetically Modified Organisms (bu.edu)

Health.gov (2022). Retrieved from:

About the Dietary Guidelines | health.gov

HealthLine (2022). Retrieved from:

Obesity Facts in America (healthline.com)

Master Class (2020). Retrieved from:

How Globalization Works: Pros and Cons of Globalization - 2022 - MasterClass

Mayo Clinic (2020). Retrieved from:

Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? - Mayo Clinic

Nestle, M. (1993). Retrieved from:

Food lobbies, the food pyramid, and U.S. nutrition policy - PubMed (nih.gov)

Purdue Career Services (n.d.). Industry Specific Certifications and Why They’re Important.
Retrieved from:
https://kapextmediassl-a.akamaihd.net/healthSci/global/CareerServices/HW220/HW220-
IndustrySpecificCertificationsandWhyTheyAreImportant.mp4

OpenSecrets (n.d.). Retrieved from:

Food & Beverage Lobbying Profile • OpenSecrets

USDA (2020) Food Access. Food Choices & Health. Retrieved from:
USDA ERS - Food Access

Virginia University (2020). Retrieved from:

Organic vs. Conventional (Synthetic) Pesticides: Advantages and Disadvantages (vt.edu)

World Health Organization [WHO] (n.d.). Retrieved from:

Foodborne diseases (who.int)

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