NCERT Book Class 12 Home Science Chapter 2 Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics

CLINICAL  NUTRITION AND  DIETEICS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, the learner will be able to:

• understand and describe the significance and scope of clinical nutrition and dietetics.
• describe the role and function of a clinical nutritionist/medical nutrition therapist.
•  explain the knowledge and skills required for a career in clinical  nutrition and dietetics.

INTRODUCTION

Nutrition is the science of food, nutrients and other substances as well as  their digestion, absorption and utilisation by the body. Nutrition is also  concerned with the social, psychological and economic aspects of food and  eating. It is well known that optimum nutrition is important  for providing  immunity and protection from infection, and to promote recovery from a  variety of illnesses as well as managing chronic diseases. When nutrient  intakes are inadequate, the body has difficulty in maintaining immune  defences, healing wounds, utilising medications,supporting organ functions. Such persons may fall victims to additional complications. Nutrition is also important in disease states. In some diseases, nutrition

 to identify one’s own aptitudes, talent, personal preferences, needs and aspirations. Then the exploration of options must start, in which one tries to combine one’s strength for personal benefit as well as social contribution. An appropriate choice will bring the person success and satisfaction.

Work and Meaningful Work

Work is primarily an activity that all human beings have to perform and through which each one ‘fits’ into the world, creates new relations, uses an individual’s unique talents and skills and above all, learns and grows to develop one’s identity and a sense of belongingness to society. Work can be described as essential activities undertaken for a purpose or out of necessity.

Work is central in all cultures, although every culture has its own values and perceptions about it. In fact, work essentially constitutes the bulk of daily life activities for all human beings. The type of work undertaken by people depends on several factors such as education, health, age, access to opportunities, globalisation, geographic location, financial returns, family background and so on.

Most human beings work to acquire money, provide for their families, and to earn leisure, recreation, play and free time. Work can serve as a catalyst for developing one’s personal identity and boosting self-esteem. Work contributes in many forms. When we work, we contribute to ourselves — our sense of confidence or well-being and for financial gain. We also contribute to the organisation that employs us by helping to create better products or a better reputation for the organisation, or greater profits. Our work has an impact on the quality of life in the world around us.

It can be rightly said that ‘work is the oil that lubricates the machine of society’. Not only human beings, but all creatures and elements of nature are constantly ‘working’, contributing to life itself. In fact, it is the collective work of humans and nature that gives us our basic necessities, comforts and luxuries. While in most cases, work primarily enables the worker to earn a livelihood, there are persons who work ceaselessly for pleasure, intellectual stimulation, contribution to society per se, despite the fact that they do not earn any amount of money, for example, the work done by family members for the family, volunteers, etc. Thus, work is not always about how much money a person earns; rather it is about whether one makes a contribution to oneself, one’s family, one’s employers, to society, or to the world. 

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