Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices 137 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Many diseases caused by unhealthy habits can lead to secondary health risks. For instance, someone who makes the unhealthy choice to smoke tobacco may get cancer. Chemotherapy drugs used to treat the cancer could produce side effects that include nausea and lack of appetite. In response to these symptoms, the patient may be unwilling or unable to eat a healthy diet. This, in turn, will create a secondary health risk for nutrition-related problems. Resources for Making Healthy Food Choices Many reports about health issues are linked to nutrients. Supermarkets, health food stores, and pharmacies all have shelves lined with bottles of nutrient supplements. Food packages make claims about the nutrient content of products. Having some tools can help people sort out all the nutrition information they encounter. Standards are available to help people know how much of each nutrient they should consume each day. General guidelines exist to make it easier to choose a healthy diet. A model has been developed to help plan nutritious meals. Using these resources can assist people in making healthy food choices. Dietary Reference Intakes People need a way to tell if they are meeting their nutrient needs. The Institute of Medicine developed a set of values to help. This set of values is called the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). These are estimated nutrient intake levels used for planning and evaluating the diets of healthy people. They are standards against which the nutritional quality of a diet can be measured. The DRIs are designed to help prevent diseases caused by a lack of nutrients. They are also designed to reduce the risk of diseases linked to nutrition. Such diseases include heart disease, some types of cancer, and osteopo- rosis. Figure 8.3 shows DRIs for teens for select nutrients. Dietary Guidelines for Americans A key resource for planning a healthy diet is the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It is the federal government’s nutritional advice. It is intended to promote health and reduce the risk of chronic (long-term) diseases. This resource urges people to adopt dietary patterns and phys- ical activity levels to reach these goals. A dietary pattern is a mix of foods and beverages that make up a person’s total dietary intake over time. The Dietary Guidelines focuses on dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients. The Dietary Guidelines is published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is based on scientific evidence and is revised every five years to reflect new find- ings about health and nutrition. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides the following four guidelines that promote healthy dietary patterns: • Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage. • Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgetary considerations. • Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits. • Limit foods and beverages that are higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages. DRIs for Teens Nutrient Males 14–18 years Females 14–18 years Protein 52 g 46 g Carbohydrate 130 g 130 g Fiber 38 g 26 g Vitamin A 900 µg 700 µg Vitamin C 75 mg 65 mg Vitamin D 15 µg 15 µg Calcium 1,300 mg 1,300 mg Iron 11 mg 15 mg Potassium 3,000 mg 2,300 mg Figure 8.3 Most healthy teens who consume these amounts of nutrients through their daily food choices are eating nutritionally adequate diets.