NCC11
Preface
Preface
A billboard in Louisiana reads, "Come as you are. Leave different," meaning that once you've
seen, smelled, tasted, and listened to Louisiana, you'll never be the same. This book extends the
same invitation to its readers: Come to nutrition science as you are, with all of the knowledge and
enthusiasm you possess, with all of your unanswered questions and misconceptions, and with
the habits and preferences that now dictate what you eat.
But leave different. Take with you from this study a more complete understanding of nutrition
science. Take a greater ability to discern between nutrition truth and fiction, to ask sophisticated
questions, and to find the answers. Finally, take with you a better sense of how to feed yourself in
ways that not only please you and soothe your spirit, but that nourish your body as well.
For over a quarter of a century, Nutrition Concepts and Controversies has been a cornerstone in
nutrition classes across North America, serving the needs of students and professors in building a
healthier future. In keeping with our tradition, in this, our 11th edition, we continue exploring the
ever-changing frontier of nutrition science, confronting its mysteries through its scientific roots.
We maintain our sense of personal connection with instructors and learners alike, writing for them
in the clear, informal style that has become our trademark.
Pedagogical Features
Throughout these chapters, features both tickle the reader’s interest and inform. For both verbal
and visual learners, our logical presentation and our lively figures keep interest high and
understanding at a peak. Our many figures throughout the chapters reinforce important basic
concepts for the learner. The photos that adorn many of our pages add pleasure to reading.
Many tried-and-true features return in this edition: Each chapter begins with “Do You Ever . . .”
questions to pique interest and set a personal tone for the information that follows. Think Fitness
reminders appear from time to time to alert readers to ways in which physical activity links with
nutrition to support health. The Food Feature sections that appear in most chapters act as
bridges between theory and practice; they are practical applications of the chapter concepts that
help readers to choose foods according to nutrition principles. Teasers in both these features lead
readers to the ThomsonNOW website to participate in interactive activities related to the topics in
each section. Consumer Corners present information on whole grain foods, fat replacers, amino
acid supplements, vitamin C and the common cold, bottled water, organic foods, and other
nutrition-related marketplace issues to empower students to make informed decisions.
By popular demand, we have retained our Snapshots of vitamins and minerals. These
concentrated capsules of information depict food sources of vitamins and minerals, present the
DRI recommended intakes and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels, and offer the chief functions of
each nutrient along with deficiency and toxicity symptoms.
New or major terms are defined in the margins of chapter pages where they are introduced and
also in the Glossary at the end of the book. Definitions in Controversy sections are grouped
together in tables and also appear in the Glossary. The reader who wishes to locate any term can
quickly do so by consulting the index, which lists the page numbers of definitions in boldface type.
A triplet of useful features closes each chapter. The Media Menu offers relevant video clips,
Internet web sites, and other helpful study tools. The second is the popular Self Check that
provides study questions, with answers in Appendix G to provide immediate feedback to the
learner. The last of the three, My Turn, is new to this edition. A teaser in the text chapter invites
1
3/9/2016
NCC11
Preface
readers to listen to nutrition students from classes around the nation talk about their nutrition
stories at the ThomsonNOW website or in a downloadable podcast, and then offer evidencebased solutions to real-life situations.
Chapter Contents
Chapter 1 begins the text with a personal challenge to students. It asks the question so many
people ask of nutrition educators—“Why should people care about nutrition?” We answer with a
lesson in the ways in which nutritious foods affect diseases, and present a continuum of diseases
from purely genetic in origin to those almost totally preventable by nutrition. After presenting
some beginning facts about the genes, nutrients, and foods, the chapter goes on to present the
Healthy People 2010 goals for the nation. It concludes with a discussion of scientific research in
nutrition to lend a perspective on the context in which study results may be rightly viewed.
Chapter 2 brings together the concepts of nutrient allowances, such as the Dietary Reference
Intakes, and diet planning using the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 and the USDA
MyPyramid Food Guide. Chapter 3 presents a thorough, but brief, introduction to the workings of
the human body from the genes to the organs, with major emphasis on the digestive system.
Chapters 4-6 are devoted to the energy-yielding nutrients—carbohydrates, lipids, and protein.
Chapters 7 and 8 present the vitamins, minerals, and water. Chapter 9 relates energy balance to
body composition, obesity, and underweight and provides guidance to life-long weight
maintenance. Chapter 10 presents the relationships between physical activity, athletic
performance, and nutrition. Chapter 11 applies the essence of the first ten chapters to two broad
and rapidly changing areas within nutrition: immunity and disease prevention. Chapter 12 delivers
urgently important concepts of food safety. Chapters 13 and 14 emphasize the importance of
nutrition through the life span. Chapter 15 touches on the vast problems of the global food
supply, world and U.S. hunger, and links each reader to the meaningful whole through the daily
choices available to them.
Controversies
The Controversies of this book’s title invite you to explore beyond the safe boundaries of
established nutrition knowledge. These optional readings, which appear at the end of each
chapter and appear on colored pages, delve into current scientific topics and emerging
controversies. All are up to date, and some are new to this edition. Of special current interest is
Controversy 5, which presents the science behind the current dietary guidance concerning fats.
Controversy 7 explores the issues of vitamin supplements, examining the question, “Who
benefits?”. Controversy 13 explores the worldwide problem of childhood obesity, and drops in on
a mother and daughter who grapple with their own struggle with childhood obesity. Controversy
15 explores ways in which agriculture can ensure a high-quality food supply throughout this
century and beyond.
Appendixes
The appendixes have proved useful to past readers. Appendix A presents complete and accurate
listings of the nutrient contents of more the 2,000 foods in units compatible with the DRI intake
recommendations. Appendix B, Canadiana, supplies Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide and
Beyond the Basics meal planning system for our Canadian readers. Appendix C demonstrates
nutrition calculations, with special emphasis on finding the percentage of calories from energy
nutrients in a diet. Appendix D provides full coverage with applications of the U.S. Exchange
System. Appendix E presents food patterns to meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.
To save space, we have collected all reference notes into Appendix F. (Older source notes have
been removed but are easily available by consulting older editions of this book or by contacting
2
3/9/2016
NCC11
Preface
the publisher.) Appendix H, "Physical Activity and Energy Requirements," has been added to help
students accurately calculate estimated energy requirements.
Helpful Ancillary Materials
Students and instructors alike will appreciate the teaching and learning materials that accompany
this text. The popular “Do It!” exercises will now appear in ThomsonNOW Students often find
the Study Guide useful in preparing for tests. Students can find additional study materials online
at the book-specific Web site and by accessing Thomson NOW. which provides outcomes
assessment, through the student self-testing and automatic grading features, a change planner
for healthy eating, weight control, and physical activity , and case study videos that give students
the opportunity to problem-solve real-life nutrition applications.
Diet Analysis Plus 8.0
A must-have for nutrition students, this thoroughly updated version of Diet Analysis+ enables
users to track and assess the nutritional value of the foods they eat! The dynamic interface makes
it easy to track the types and serving sizes of the foods consumed from one day to one year.
Students can create their own personal profiles based on height, weight, age, sex, and activity
level. They can then calculate their RDA/DRIs, goal percentages, and actual percentages of
essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals consumed based on their personal profiles.
For instructors, a Power Lecture CD-ROM makes it easy to assemble, edit, and present custom
lectures—blending figures and photos, video clips, and animations (provided on the CD and the
web site) with your own materials. clicker questions, included on the Power Lecture, provides
Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies instant response system content, which reinforces key
concepts using illustrations and other media and tests students’ comprehension with challenging
questions. ExamView® Computerized Testing, also available on the Power Lecture, makes it
possible to create custom tests and study guides (both print and online) in minutes. In addition,
a complete set of transparency acetates is available and includes an array of vibrant visual aids
taken from the text. Web Tutor for Blackboard and WebCT platforms offers robust preloaded
quizzing and assignment content for instructors who administer their course online. A printed test
bank provides instructors with a complete and thorough test for each chapter of the text, and an
instructor’s manual contains annotated lecture outlines, many handouts, and helpful classroom
activities.
A Message to You
Our purpose in writing this text, as always, is to enhance our readers’ understanding of nutrition
science and motivation to apply it. We hope the information on this book’s pages will reach
beyond the classroom in to our readers’ lives. Take the information you find inside this book
home with you. Use it in your life: nourish yourself, educate your loved ones, and nurture others
to be healthy. Stay up with the news, too. For despite all the conflicting messages, inflated
claims, and even quackery that abound in the marketplace, true nutrition knowledge progresses
with a genuine scientific spirit, and important new truths are constantly unfolding.
3
3/9/2016