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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, February 10, 2012
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Eating Disorders |
Eating and drinking06/11/2007 |
Son 37 does not eat or drink anything for a 10 to 12 hr. work shift every day. What are the effects on body? Thanks a lot!
Skipping meals can deprive the body of the energy and nutrients it needs to run on throughout the day, make the body and brain "sluggish," and slow down the metabolism (to conserve energy). It's similar to the old trains that ran on coal for fuel. If the coal was supplied steadily, the train ran smoothly down the tracks (just like food fueling our body and giving us a steady source of energy). If the coal was dumped onto the fire all at once, the flame would be extinguished and the train would stop (similar to us eating a huge meal and feeling only like taking a nap!). If the coal is not put on the fire, the train can not run at all (same as with us ... without our fuel, we don't run efficiently either!).Not drinking throughout the day adds even more problems. It can cause mild to moderate dehydration. Just a 1 to 2 percent drop in body water can significantly effect mental and physical performance, muscle growth, and health. Too little fluid intake can cause a loss in ability to do math, influence short term memory, contribute to the formation of kidney stones, and increase the risk of some types of cancers. Some early signs of dehydration include fatigue, loss of appetite, light-headedness, headache, dry mouth, flushed skin, and dark colored urine.
When someone skips meals throughout the day, they often consume one big meal in the evening. This meal may supply adequate or excess calories, but often does not supply all the nutrients the body needs in a day. It is important to choose foods from all food groups and make sure they are nutrient rich (vs. "junk foods") and meet our calorie needs. If your son visits the site www.MyPyramid.gov, he can find out just how many servings of each food group he needs in a day. Then, he would be wise to divide this food over the entire day. Meals do not have to be large, if he feels he doesn't have time to eat. Smaller, more frequent mini-meals would be fine and provide nutrients and fuel for the body to function at its peak all day long.
For more personalized help with diet, I recommend visiting a registered dietitian. Good luck!
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Jane Korsberg, MS, RD, LD Senior Instructor of Nutrition Department of Nutrition School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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