Anonymous

Why Do We Need Staple Foods?

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9 Answers

Arun Raj Profile
Arun Raj answered
Staple food forms a part of the traditional diet especially among the poor. It consists of typically starchy food that is high in providing energy. Staple food can be stored for consumption throughout the year. The food groups that form a staple diet have a vegetable origin. Though starchy foods are nutritious, one cannot really depend on them for a full range of nutrients and have to intake other foods to have a balanced diet. However staple food does form an important form of the balanced diet.

Staple foods consist of cereals like rice, wheat, maize, fleshy root vegetables like potatoes and cassava. Some of the other food groups providing staple diet are pulses, sago and fruits like plantains and breadfruit. Though staple foods vary in different areas of the world, they are usually found to support basic dietary requirements in poverty stricken areas of the world. The sweet-potato, for example, is rich in vitamins and dietary fibre. Staple foods are easy to make and can feed a lot of people. Cereals can also be converted into flour and used to make things like bread, pasta, noodles etc. A staple food typically forms the part of an everyday meal.
Christy Muller Profile
Christy Muller answered

You don't.

A staple food is simply a food that is routinely eaten in large quantities and is a large portion of the diet of a specific population or culture.

For example:
-grains, potatoes, yams, olive oil, sugar, maize, rice...

There is nothing forcing you to eat any of this, it is not a requirement that you eat any of this for a healthy diet.

It is a good idea though to eat a diet that is devoid of processed foods as it is healthier for you.

A diet that is high in vegetables, lean meat(unless you're vegan), some fruit and nuts...

These foods will provide you with the nutrients and macronutrients your body needs to function effectively.

Couple that of course with 8 glasses of water a day if you are interested in a healthy diet.

Roger Macario Profile
Roger Macario answered

A staple food is a food that is taken routinely, and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet in a given people, supplying a large fraction of the needs for energy-rich materials . The staple food of a specific society may be eaten as often as every day, or every meal, and most people live on a diet based on just a small number of staples.

Staple foods vary from place to place, they are inexpensive or readily available foods that supply three organic macronutrients carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Most staple plant foods are derived either from cereals such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rice.

John  Munos Profile
John Munos answered

Fruits, fresh or dried have been natural staple diet of human being since ancient times. Replete with minerals, vitamins, enzymes, they are easily digestible. Fruits are not only good source as food, they are serve as medicine and treat ailments. Fruits, eaten raw or consumed as fresh juice are an excellent way to retain and balance moisture level in a body. The low level of sodium in fruits plays an important role for people who avail of salt free diet. So pregnant ladies eat 2-3 helpings of fresh fruits in a day.

Dry fruits like apricots, raisins and dates are a storehouse of calcium, iron, essential for strengthening of bones and good blood respectively. I suggest you The Zone diet calculator through this you get more results about What is the zone diet .

Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
To keep us strong and healthy and to keep our diet balanced x
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Otherwise you will be obese:

Obesity

Silhouettes and waist circumferences representing normal, overweight, and obese
ICD-10 E66.
ICD-9 278
OMIM 601665
DiseasesDB 9099
MedlinePlus 003101
eMedicine med/1653
MeSH C23.888.144.699.500
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems.[1][2] Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.[3]

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.[2] Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.[4][5]

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.[6][7]

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century.[8] Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.[2][9]

Contents [hide]
1 Classification
2 Effects on health
2.1 Mortality
2.2 Morbidity
2.3 Obesity survival paradox
3 Causes
3.1 Diet
3.2 Sedentary lifestyle
3.3 Genetics
3.4 Medical and psychiatric illness
3.5 Social determinants
3.6 Infectious agents
4 Pathophysiology
5 Management
5.1 Dieting
5.2 Exercise
5.3 Weight loss programs
5.4 Medication
5.5 Surgery
5.6 Clinical protocols
6 Epidemiology
7 Public health
8 Economic impact
9 History and culture
9.1 Etymology
9.2 Historical trends
9.3 The arts
9.4 Size acceptance and the obesity controversy
10 Research
11 Childhood obesity
12 In other animals
13 See also
14 Notes
15 References
16 Further reading
17 External links

Classification
Main article: Classification of obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health.[1] It is defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist–hip ratio and total cardiovascular risk factors.[10][11] BMI is closely related to both percentage body fat and total body fat.[12]

A "super obese" male with a BMI of 47 kg/m2: Weight 146 kg (322 lb), height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)In children, a healthy weight varies with age and sex. Obesity in children and adolescents is defined not as an absolute number, but in relation to a historical normal group, such that obesity is a BMI greater than the 95th percentile.[13] The reference data on which these percentiles are based are from 1963 to 1994, and thus have not been affected by the recent increases in weight.[14]

BMI Classification
< 18.5 underweight
18.5–24.9 normal weight
25.0–29.9 overweight
30.0–34.9 class I obesity
35.0–39.9 class II obesity
≥ 40.0   class III obesity   
BMI is calculated by dividing the subject's mass by the square of his or her height, typically expressed either in metric or US "customary" units:

Metric: BMI = kilograms / meters2
US customary and imperial: BMI = lb * 703 / in2
where lb is the subject's weight in pounds and in is the subject's height in inches.

The most commonly used definitions, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 and published in 2000, provide the values listed in the table at right.[3]

Some modifications to the WHO definitions have been made by particular bodies. The surgical literature breaks down "class III" obesity into further categories whose exact values are still disputed.[15]

Any BMI ≥ 35 or 40 is severe obesity
A BMI of ≥ 35 or 40–44.9 or 49.9 is morbid obesity
A BMI of ≥ 45 or 50 is super obese
As Asian populations develop negative health consequences at a lower BMI than Caucasians, some nations have redefined obesity; the Japanese have defined obesity as any BMI greater than 25[16] while China uses a BMI of greater than 28.[17]

Effects on health
Excessive body weight is associated with various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.[2] As a result, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy.[2]

Mortality
   
Relative risk of death for men (left) and women (right) in the United States by BMI.[18]
Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.[8][19][20] Large-scale American and European studies have found that mortality risk is lowest at a BMI of 22.5–25 kg/m2[21] in non-smokers and at 24–27 kg/m2 in current smokers, with risk increasing along with changes in either direction.[22][23] A BMI above 32 has been associated with a doubled mortality rate among women over a 16-year period.[24] In the United States obesity is estimated to cause an excess 111,909 to 365,000 death per year,[2][20] while 1 million (7.7%) of deaths in the European Union are attributed to excess weight.[25][26] On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by six to seven years:[2][27] a BMI of 30–35 reduces life expectancy by two to four years,[21] while severe obesity (BMI > 40) reduces life expectancy by 10 years.[21]

Morbidity
Main article: Obesity-associated morbidity
Obesity increases the risk of many physical and mental conditions. These comorbidities are most commonly shown in metabolic syndrome,[2] a combination of medical disorders which includes: Diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels.[28]

Complications are either directly caused by obesity or indirectly related through mechanisms sharing a common cause such as a poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. The strength of the link between obesity and specific conditions varies. One of the strongest is the link with type 2 diabetes. Excess body fat underlies 64% of cases of diabetes in men and 77% of cases in women.[29]

Health consequences fall into two broad categories: Those attributable to the effects of increased fat mass (such as osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, social stigmatization) and those due to the increased number of fat cells (diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease).[2][30] Increases in body fat alter the body's response to insulin, potentially leading to insulin resistance. Increased fat also creates a proinflammatory state,[31][32] and a prothrombotic state.[30][33]

Medical field Condition Medical field Condition
Cardiology ischemic heart disease:[34] angina and myocardial infarction
congestive heart failure[2]
high blood pressure[2]
abnormal cholesterol levels[2]
deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism[35]
Dermatology stretch marks[36]
acanthosis nigricans[36]
lymphedema[36]
cellulitis[36]
hirsutism[36]
intertrigo[37]

Endocrinology and Reproductive medicine diabetes mellitus[2]
polycystic ovarian syndrome[2]
menstrual disorders[2]
infertility[2][38]
complications during pregnancy[2][38]
birth defects[2]
intrauterine fetal death[38]
Gastrointestinal gastroesophageal reflux disease[2][39]
fatty liver disease[2]
cholelithiasis (gallstones)[2]

Neurology stroke[2]
meralgia paresthetica[40]
migraines[41]
carpal tunnel syndrome[42]
dementia[43]
idiopathic intracranial hypertension[44]
multiple sclerosis[45]
Oncology[46] breast, ovarian
esophageal, colorectal
liver, pancreatic
gallbladder, stomach
endometrial, cervical
prostate, kidney
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma

Psychiatry depression in women[2]
social stigmatization[2]
Respirology obstructive sleep apnea[2][47]
obesity hypoventilation syndrome[2][47]
asthma[2][47]
increased complications during general anaesthesia[2][5]

Rheumatology and Orthopedics gout[48]
poor mobility[49]
osteoarthritis[2]
low back pain[50]
Urology and Nephrology erectile dysfunction[51]
urinary incontinence[52]
chronic renal failure[53]
hypogonadism[54]

Obesity survival paradox
See also: Obesity paradox
Although the negative health consequences of obesity in the general population are well supported by the available evidence, health outcomes in certain subgroups seem to be improved at an increased BMI, a phenomenon known as the obesity survival paradox.[55] The paradox was first described in 1999 in overweight and obese people undergoing hemodialysis,[55] and has subsequently been found in those with heart failure and peripheral artery disease (PAD).[56]

In people with heart failure, those with a BMI between 30.0–34.9 had lower mortality than those with a normal weight. This has been attributed to the fact that people often lose weight as they become progressively more ill.[57] Similar findings have been made in other types of heart disease. People with class I obesity and heart disease do not have greater rates of further heart problems than people of normal weight who also have heart disease. In people with greater degrees of obesity, however, risk of further events is increased.[58][59] Even after cardiac bypass surgery, no increase in mortality is seen in the overweight and obese.[60] One study found that the improved survival could be explained by the more aggressive treatment obese people receive after a cardiac event.[61] Another found that if one takes into account chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in those with PAD the benefit of obesity no longer exists.[56]

Causes
At an individual level, a combination of excessive caloric intake and a lack of physical activity is thought to explain most cases of obesity.[62] A limited number of cases are due primarily to genetics, medical reasons, or psychiatric illness.[63] In contrast, increasing rates of obesity at a societal level are felt to be due to an easily accessible and palatable diet,[64] increased reliance on cars, and mechanized manufacturing.[65][66]

A 2006 review identified ten other possible contributors to the recent increase of obesity: (1) insufficient sleep, (2) endocrine disruptors (environmental pollutants that interfere with lipid metabolism), (3) decreased variability in ambient temperature, (4) decreased rates of smoking, because smoking suppresses appetite, (5) increased use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., atypical antipsychotics), (6) proportional increases in ethnic and age groups that tend to be heavier, (7) pregnancy at a later age (which may cause susceptibility to obesity in children), (8) epigenetic risk factors passed on generationally, (9) natural selection for higher BMI, and (10) assortative mating leading to increased concentration of obesity risk factors (this would not necessarily increase the number of obese people, but would increase the average population weight).[67] While there is substantial evidence supporting the influence of these mechanisms on the increased prevalence of obesity, the evidence is still inconclusive, and the authors state that these are probably less influential than the ones discussed in the previous paragraph.

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