Being obese can hurt your health, but it may also make it harder to do your job. According to a new study, obese workers take more sick days than their peers and are more likely to say they’ve experienced drops in productivity. Researchers in the Netherlands anonymously surveyed 10,674 workers at 49 companies who performed a variety of jobs including office work, industrial manufacturing, and construction. ...

Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and southern France make up the region known as southern Europe. Southern France is included because it is culturally similar to the rest of southern Europe. Greece is often grouped with eastern Europe; however, it is included here because Greek food has greatly influenced the cuisine of southern Europe. Italy is a boot-shaped country that protrudes into the Mediterranean Sea ...

It is quite clear that nutritional intake is associated with common health conditions such as obesity, hypertension  (high blood pressure), cancer, diabetes (high blood sugar), and cardiovascular disease. People in the United States make daily decisions related to grocery purchases, meal choices, food preparation, and other factors influencing their consumption of food and nutrients, and, thus, likely affec ...

Nutrition during the preconception period, as well as throughout a pregnancy, has a major impact on pregnancy outcome. Among prepregnancy considerations, the prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), folic acid status, and socioeconomic status are the most important. Prepregnancy BMI is an important factor in predicting pregnancy outcome, since both low prepregnancy and high prepregnancy BMI are associated with a ...

Oral tissues, such as the gingiva (gums), teeth, and muscles of mastication (chewing muscles), are living tissues, and they have the same nutritional requirements as any other living tissue in the body. When adequate, nutritious food is not available, oral health may be compromised by nutrient-deficiency diseases, such as scurvy. In contrast, when food is freely available, as in many industrialized societie ...

When Christopher Columbus dropped anchor on the shores of San Salvador in the Caribbean Sea, he believed he reached India. Because he believed he was in India, Columbus named the inhabitants Indians, a term that was soon used to refer to all the native inhabitants of North America. Today, the term Native American is more commonly used. The Hardships of Settlement New settlers in North America had a difficul ...

Metabolism refers to the physical and chemical processes that occur inside the cells of the body and that maintain life. Metabolism consists of anabolism (the constructive phase) and catabolism (the destructive phase, in which complex materials are broken down). The transformation of the macronutrients, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in food to energy, and other physiological processes are parts of the m ...

While many diseases and health care issues affect both men and women, certain diseases and conditions exhibited in men may require distinct approaches regarding diagnosis and management. Some of the major issues associated with men's health are related to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, impotence, and prostate health. This entry highlights definitions, etiology, treatment, and lifestyle facto ...

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the development and provision of a nutritional treatment or therapy based on a detailed assessment of a person's medical history, psychosocial history, physical examination, and dietary history. It is used to treat an illness or condition, or as a means to prevent or delay disease or complications from diseases such as diabetes. The purpose of the assessment is to: 1. Dete ...

Insulin is a hormone produced by specialized cells in the pancreas. Secreted into the bloodstream at each meal, insulin helps the body use and store glucose (sugar) produced during the digestion of food. In people with diabetes, the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin that is produced in an efficient manner. Treatment for diabetes requires the delivery of insul ...