Assignments

Note:  It is not necessary for you to stage a play for the presentation.  A seminar presentation is fine.  Remember to provide references for any articles you have cited in your assignment.  Please get ready to do the presentation this Saturday, 5 April.  You can have one week after that to revise your write-up.  Groups 10 and 11 will do their presentations in the following week.

Group 11 assignment.

Mrs Oraidi is 72 years old. She is 150 cm tall and weighs 50 kg. She still plants cabbages and walks to her vegetable plot which is one kilometre from her home everyday. What are some of the nutritional issues faced by Mrs Oraidi? What are the energy requirement and physical activity recommendations for older adults? From national diet and nutrition surveys (of any country), what can you say of energy intake by older people? How does that affect their nutrient intakes? What factors do you need to consider when advising on the dietary intake of older people in order for them to achieve a healthy diet?

Group 10 assignment.
Critically review the formulation of predictive equations for metabolic rate for adult Malaysians. (Hint: look for articles in this area in the Malaysian Journal of Nutrition. Please consult hardcopies of the journal in the library.) Are there other findings which suggest alternative equations for prediction of BMR in national populations which are different from the WHO/FAO/UHU (1985) equations? Why is there a need for these alternative equations?

Group 9 assignment.

Hannah is 32 years old and has just been told by her doctor that she is two months pregnant. This is her first pregnancy. She is 165 cm tall and currently weighs 70 kg. Two months ago she weighed 68.5 kg. Is Hannah weight’s gain appropriate? Why or why not? Explain in detail weight gain during pregnancy.  What dietary advice would you give her?

Group 8 assignment.

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on 10 February 2008 that a fashion show sponsored by the Madrid regional government had banned models with a BMI of less than 18.   That government introduced the ban in 2006.  What is the basis behind that ban?

Explain in detail.

Group 7 assignment.The state youth football team seeks your help.  They train everyday for two hours.  The average age of the players are 15 years.  You are going to give them a half an hour talk on how to maintain optimum nutrition.  Hint:  look at their energy expenditure and hence their energy requirements.

Group 6 assignment.

Why is it important for adolescents to achieve adequate calcium nutrition before they reach adulthood?  Are there any non-dietary factors which contribute to bone health?  Explain.

Group 5 assignment.

What are the recommended macronutrient intakes for children in Malaysia?  Why did the Technical Working Group for RNI recommend those values?  How is the government of Malaysia helping the nutritional status of malnourished children from poor households?

Group 4 assignment.

Is BMI appropriate for use with children?  Why?  How do you determine whether a child is underweight, normal, obese or overweight?

Members of Group 4 are:

Noor Amalina Jamil

Nina Elyana Zulkipli

Elaine Chan Gah Wing

Don Xin Yan

Tong Woon Sheng

Mathew Tan Chee Siang

Kiew Hwee Peng

Please get ready for a 15-minute oral presentation in our next class on Tuesday, 19 February.  Group 4 will do the presentation on the same day as Group 3.

Group 3 assignment.

What is the recommended nutrient intake for infants between 6 to 12 months? Give examples of weaning foods commonly introduced to babies in Malaysia.  Are they appropriate / adequate?  If yes, why.  If no, what are your suggestions?  What are the foods which should be avoided during this period? Why?

Please get ready for a 15 minute presentation at the start of class on Tuesday, 19 February.

Group 2 assignment.

Can breast milk be substituted by infant formula or soy milk?

Why?

Please get ready for a 15 minute presentation at the start of class on Tuesday, 22 January.