Mr. Begums’ has a meal plan that is full of different nutrients. He weighs 85Kg with 1.68 meters being his height. Hence, his body mass index (BMI) is calculated as 85Kg/ 1.68M². This gives a BMI of 30.11Kg/M². As such, Mr. Begums is overweight and may be suffering from obesity. The reason is that the BMI indicates a figure that is outside healthy brackets. There is the need to have a balanced diet that seeks to reduce his weight.
Looking at his meal plan, the breakfast consists of cornflakes and sugared milk that serves as vital energy sources. Indeed, it appears to be a healthy diet. Nonetheless, it also consists of lots of high calories that invite measures for reduction of the same. It is important to note that at his age, he has a diminished need for calories. Additionally, his diet also consists of juice, fried eggs and toasts. They are vital sources of proteins and energy although they may add sugars and fats to his already unhealthy body. Besides these, he takes huge amounts of sugars during lunchtime and evenings where he gets a bar of chocolate, sweets and sodas (fizzy drinks). These amounts of sugar may predispose him to diabetes.
Mr. Begums also consumes huge portions of fats and animal proteins. In fact, he takes butter, cheese and ghee at lunchtime. Fried eggs for his breakfast are also sources of fats. Yoghurt is common in his diet. As such, he is at risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases results from increased cholesterol consumption that is high in animal proteins. Knowing well that he is obese, he suffers a higher risk of CVD than a person who is within the healthy BMI number. His habit of taking tea has also predisposed him to higher risk of CVD. In fact, he drinks not less than three cups of tea. Tea contains nicotine that heightens the chances of being under the threat of CVDs.
Discussion of Mr. Begums Meal Plan
Mr. Begums’ meal plan has many sources of risks. Primarily, he faces the risk of diabetes. His sugar intake could make his pancreas to be ineffective in the production or the use of insulin. According to Webb (2002, pp. 32), when the pancreas becomes inefficient in the production of insulin, the person is unable to digest sugars. In other words, one becomes diabetic. Apparently, Mr. Begum is obese, which is a nutritional risk factor. Additionally, age predisposes him to the risk of diabetes. At mid 50s, he is more prone to diabetic risk than a younger person is (Galdston 2002, pp.11). Worse still, he rarely exercises and as such, he increases his chances of becoming diabetic.
Further, he is at risk of getting a Cardiovascular Disease. CVDs include diseases of the heart such as stroke, heart attack or even heart failure among many others (Webb 2002, pp. 12). The rationale behind this claim is that Mr. Begums consumes high amounts of diet components that amplify the possibilities of developing CVD. Tea is a central constituent of his snacks. This is despite the fact that it contains nicotine that increases the possibilities of heart disease (Curley 1990, pp. 74). Nicotine has long-term effects owing to cumulative amounts consumed. Addiction is one of the effects.
In addition, it is important to mention that his meal plan consists of high lipoproteins and cholesterol. Daily, he eats eggs, cheese, yoghurt, ghee and butter. All these raise the level of cholesterol in the body. Indeed, cholesterol is a major cause of CVD in the world, alongside obesity and lack of exercises.
Causes of the meal plan
Mr. Begums’ meal is imbalanced for various reasons. At the onset, the social context that he finds himself is the main reason for his plan. At home, he lives with his wife and teenage children. This insinuates that the home diet is hugely imbalanced. The rationale is that nutrients requirements are different for his wife and children since they occupy varied age categories. While the teenage children need high-energy food because of their biological development, the adults may require more proteins (Curley 1990, pp.74). Subsequently, sugar and fat is representative of their diet. This is because they provide high levels of carbohydrates that the teenagers require (Shils 2005, pp. 84). This is dissimilar to the adults’ nutrients requirements that dictate high levels of protein.
Further, Mr. Begums’ religion affects much of the family’s dietary habits. Most importantly, diverse religions have different dietary emphasis. This therefore may put a boundary on some of meals that a person requires for healthy development. Mr. Begums is a Muslim. The religion prohibits some of the culinary tendencies that he could include in the meal plan to improve his health (Shils 2005, pp. 24). Considering that he is at a high risk of cardiovascular disease, controlled amounts of alcohol cannot be a prescription that could be used to lower the levels of cholesterol. The rationale is that Islam religion stringently disallows alcohol.
With limited choices therefore, cholesterol levels may not reduce as wished (Curley 1990, pp. 83). Besides, his family’s inclination to substitute the customary diets on Fridays is due to their religious affiliation. Indeed, this is a holy day for worship. Accordingly, their diet consists of detrimental diets like chips and fried fish. This affects the possibility for a healthy diet.
Finally, Mr. Begums’ lifestyle is a factor that has affected his culinary habits and ultimately, his health. Primarily, he does not exercise despite his risky BMI. This means that soaring amounts of fat, which is a constituent of the meals he consumes, are stored as adipose tissues. Thus, he is exposed to increased nutritional risks and diseases in addition to high levels of fat in the body. Notably, Mr. Begums works in an environment of an office (Webb 2002, pp. 13).
This means that much of his time is spent while working and seldom does he get a chance for a work out. In the modern and conventional office environments, majority of the people stay seated for long (Mahan 2000, pp. 31). This exposes them to high-level risks of ignoring healthy habits in addition to limiting the time they could use for exercises (Curley 1990, pp. 71).
Action Plan
Mr. Begums ought to change his culinary tendency to avert the risk of becoming ill. This will be in an attempt to reduce risk factors that he is currently exposed to and that may present a challenge to his health. To avert amplified danger of diabetes, Mr. Begums should focus on maintaining healthy weight in relation to reducing his BMI and eventually reducing his weight, which is a huge sign of obesity (Webb 2002, pp. 12).
Chiefly, he ought to reduce high sugar foods and drinks. At breakfast, he should reduce his consumption of sugar that is contained in his milk as well as juice. Actually, he ought to have an eye on the accurate volumes of cereals and milk. Replacing fried eggs with boiled eggs can help him to reduce his considerably high levels of sugars in his diet. Moreover, he ought to include a fruit as a substitute to drinking juice that also contains a lot of sugar. This is same for white bread that can be replaced by brown bread that contains fiber and has reduced sugars.
Mr. Begums faces the risk of being diabetic. He should consider increasing vegetables and reduction his daily consumption of ghee and other animal proteins that may increase his proneness to CVD (Mahan 2000, pp. 56). These animal products expose him to increased danger of cholesterol due to the high levels of lipoprotein and fat. This is considering that the two predisposes him to high danger of a CVD and heart diseases. Increasing the intake of oily fish in his meal plan instead of fries should typify his late afternoon meals since they lower the risk of high lipoproteins that spark the emergence of CVD. His nutrients need ought to be composed of increased proteins due to the need to repair his worn out tissues.
Mr. Begum ought to improve his exercises tendencies. Walking from home to office for a few days within a week should help him to kick-start his gym routines. This will enable him to become sensitive of his weight and stay fit.
Conclusion
Essentially, the case above demonstrates dietary imbalances in Mr. Begums’ meal plan. In fact, it poses a threat to his health and increases his risk factors. At the outset, his BMI shows that his weight is unhealthy. The rationale is that he has an elevated intake of calories from sugary foods and fats. He also has a predisposition of eating snacks that contain a lot of sugar. Besides, his meal plan predisposes him to many nutritional related diseases such as obesity, CVDs and diabetes.
The causes for his unbalanced diet includes among others, social setting since he is an immigrant and his Islamic religion. In addition, the family background exposes him to dietary habits that do not address his nutritional requirements. Thus, it is imperative for him to get on a healthy meal plan. This will reduce his weight by lowering sugar and fat intake that is typical of his diet. He should start exercising in addition to increasing the amounts of vegetables fresh fruits and less sugary foods.
References
Curley, S 1990, The Natural Guide to Good Health, Lafayette, Louisiana, Supreme Publishing.
Galdston, I 2002, Diet and Nutrition Revisited, New York, International Universities Press.
Mahan, L 2000, Krause’s Food, Nutrition, and Diet Therapy, Philadelphia, Saunders Harcourt Brace.
Shils, T 2005, Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, New York, Lippincott Williams &Wilkins Publishers.
Webb, G 2002, Nutrition a Health Promotion Approach, Oxford, Arnold Publishing.