HUN1201: Human Nutrition – ready to go

Canvas Assignment 4: Energy Balance Case Study

Name:

Introduction

Janet is a 38-year-old mother of three who has experienced gradual weight gain after the birth of each of her children. Janet is 5 feet 4 inches tall and currently weighs 235 pounds. She works as an accountant sitting at a desk all day crunching numbers. Her days are long, and her job is stressful.

Janet states that she does not engage in regular exercise, feels tired, and does not have much time to prepare healthy meals. On her way home, she often stops for fast food take-out for herself and family. Since she feels tired often, she drinks 24 ounces of cola daily to keep her “energized.” For breakfast, she loves to stop at Dunkin Donuts for her donut and coffee. After dinner, she consumes 2 bowls of chocolate ice cream to manage her stress.

At bedtime, Janet has trouble falling asleep and gets about 5 hours of sleep a night. Her children report that she snores loudly.

Her recent physical at the doctor revealed that Janet is prediabetic with the following lab results:

Blood pressure = 170/90 mmHg

Cholesterol = 250 mg/dl

LDL Cholesterol = 172 mg/dl

HDL Cholesterol = 38 mg/dl

Fasting blood glucose = 110 mg/dl

Number of calories ingested = 2858

Number of calories expended = 1090

Part A. Summary

Summarize Janet’s issues and constraints.

Part B. Discussion Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Based on Janet’s height and weight, what BMI category does this place her in? How does this affect her daily life?

2. Looking at the number of calories Janet has ingested and expended, will Janet be in energy balance, energy deficit, or energy excess? Explain why.

3. Based on Janet’s lab values, is Janet at risk for heart disease? Explain what factors are putting Janet at risk.

4. Identify
3 environmental factors that have put Janet in an energy imbalance. With
each environmental factor,
explain how each factor is causing the energy imbalance.

Environmental Factor	Causes

5. To help Janet with long term weight loss, there are
three areas that Janet needs to adjust according to your textbook. What are the three areas?

With
each area, explain two
specific ways to accomplish this based on Janet’s habits. Be sure to provide workable solutions for her considering the constraints you identified in Part A.

Area to Adjust	How to Accomplish

Part C: Debrief

Based on what you learned in this course, what is the root cause of Janet’s symptoms and lab values? What is the role that nutrition plays in this cause? Explain your answer.