IN HEALTH
Name:___________________________________________
Student Project Sheet
Project Title: Nutrition Matters
Materials Needed:
Calculator / Internet Access / Pen or Pencil / Scales, Metric and U.S. Customary Systems
(You may need two for each system, one that will accommodate weighing yourself and
another to weigh smaller masses.)
Introduction – Background Information
Some of the most active members of a diabetic care team
are the persons with nutrition background and experience.
The suggestions for treatment that they provide don’t come from a pharmacy. They relate
to the grocery store, the kitchen and refrigerator shelves. These professionals have a
sophisticated knowledge of food science and math formulas. You probably think of your
body mass in pounds and your height in feet and inches. Many nutritional and medical
formulas use metric measures, as does most of the scientific world, because metric units
have an internal organization that is consistent between attributes.
Explore Metric Measures Related to Weight
Part 1
Develop a mental reference image for metric units of mass by selecting at least 10 objects
that you can weigh. Record results in grams or kilograms and also pounds and ounces for
the same objects. Be aware that you can find the information printed on packages. Since
your goal is not to create a perfect record, but to create and refine your mental imagery,
ignore the printed information. After you have weighed the objects, weigh yourself. Write
a paragraph to express your current understanding of the relationship between metric
and U.S. customary system results.
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© 2012 Career Communications, Inc. • 6701 W. 64th Street, Suite 210 • Overland Park, KS 66202 • 913-362-7788 • [email protected] • www.carcom.com
IN HEALTH
Nutrition Matters
Student Project Sheet
Page 2
Part 2
To become more familiar with metric relationships, use the following ratios to convert
body mass and height from the U.S customary to the metric system for at least three
different individuals, one of whom is you: 1 pound = .454 kilograms and 1 inch = 2.54 cm.
Before you choose the individuals or speak to anyone about results, imagine yourself in
the role of a nutrition professional. Consider the emotional implications for an individual
who is outside of a healthy range. Proceed with extreme sensitivity for personal feelings.
Part 3
Calculate specific caloric intake to help a client attain or maintain a realistic weight.
Assume that a gradual weight loss of 1 pound per week is a realistic goal. Work with the
following additional assumptions: 1 pound of body weight is equivalent to 3,500
calories. Therefore, if a person cut his or her daily intake by 500 calories, one would
expect a gradual weight loss of 1 pound per week (3,500 ÷ 7 = 500).
A. If a client requires 2,100 calories a day to maintain current weight and a dietitian
prescribes a 1/2 pound per week weight loss, how many calories should he consume
each day? (Show your work.)
B. If the client is 25 pounds over his goal weight range, how many weeks should it take
him to meet his goal? (Show your work.)
C. The same client needs a personalized meal plan so that he consumes an appropriate
balance of protein (PRO), carbohydrates (CHO) and fat. The registered dietitian
recommends that 20% of his calories come from PRO, 55% from CHO and the
remainder from fat. Each gram of protein or carbohydrate equals 4 calories. Each gram
of fat provides 9 calories. Calculate the number of grams of protein, carbohydrate and
fat that this client should consume each day. (Show your work.)
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© 2012 Career Communications, Inc. • 6701 W. 64th Street, Suite 210 • Overland Park, KS 66202 • 913-362-7788 • [email protected] • www.carcom.com
IN HEALTH
Nutrition Matters
Student Project Sheet
Page 3
D. A registered dietitian would use the client’s usual pattern for meals to personalize the
number of servings from each food group (meat/protein, breads/grains, milk/dairy,
vegetables, fruits, fats/oils/sweets). Assume that you are the client. Establish a personal
weight-management goal. Then prepare a one-week meal plan that will accomplish
your personal goal to maintain, gain or lose weight. Make sure that you don’t exceed
a commonly accepted recommendation of 1 pound per week for gradual weight loss.
© 2012 Career Communications, Inc. • 6701 W. 64th Street, Suite 210 • Overland Park, KS 66202 • 913-362-7788 • [email protected] • www.carcom.com