Diet is simply that we eat. There are two aspects of diet; the type and
quantity of food that one eats. Maintaining a balance between the two
factors is essential for a good and standard health. Diet taken in the form
of a variety of right food but in quantities that are too large would yield a
large amount of calories and thus have an adverse affect on human body.
On the other hand, food with right calories from only one group will lack
essential nutrients and would cause serious health problems.
The source of diet may be either plants and/or animals. Plant based
diets include fruits, vegetables, whole grains where as animal derived
diets are meats, poultry, fish, egg, ghee etc.
Diets provide the essential nutrients required for deriving energy for
various metabolic activities and building up the body parts. Nutrition is an
important factor in the promotion and maintenance of good health through
the entire life course of a person. Their role as determinants of chronic
non-communicable diseases are well established and they therefore
occupy a prominent position in prevention activities (WHO, 2002). For this
a diet should provide adequate amount of all the nutrients. To avoid the
deficiency of various nutrients, intake of balanced diet is inevitable for
human beings. A balanced diet may be defined as one which contains the
various groups of food stuff such as energy yielding, body building and
protective food in correct proportion. Lack of balanced diet, over diet as
well as under nutrition may lead to the occurrence of several diseases
such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, anemia, hypertension
and under weight problems. The components of a balanced diet differ
according to age, sex, physical activity, economical status and the
psychological state of the individuals (Swaminathan, 2003). The
proportion of components also differs in persons suffering from specific
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diseases and leads to alteration of numerous physical and biochemical
parameters. The levels of these parameters play a significant role in
reducing the risk factors associated with the disease.
