PSYCHOLOGY OF ADJUSTMENT-Unit 2, question # 1 - Essay Example

Question Discuss what makes for a well-balanced diet? In general, diets are an extremely prevalent phenomenon within America. From the South Beach Diet to the Atkins diet, every program claims to know the secret to health and fitness. However, regardless of the popularity of these programs, most are lacking in one key area: balance. According to Karen Duffy and Eastwood Atwater, authors of the book entitled Psychology for Living, a well-balanced diet is made up of a variety of healthy food groups, which is specially geared toward a person based on their gender, body type, and activity levels.

In general, a well-balanced diet includes a good mixture of substances such as “proteins, carbohydrates, certain fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibers”(Duffy and Atwater, 2008). These substances can be found in a variety of foods such as meats(including fish and poultry), vegetables, fruit, dairy, and grains. This general balance of nutrition or diet was illustrated by the food pyramid. However, in the past few years, the government has released a new illustration to showcase what they deem to be the most balanced illustration of diet in the form of a plate and a cup.

This new illustration is thought to be a better representation of a proper and balanced diet in today’s modern world with a little over 50 percent of the plate being taken up by vegetables and grains, about 45 percent taken up by fruits and proteins, and a glass representing dairy servings as well.(Choosemyplate.gov, 2012). The main difference between the old pyramid system and the Choose My Plate system is that fats and sugars are no longer represented or recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture as part of a well-balanced diet.

In addition to the basic nutritional aspects of a well-balanced diet, Duffy and Atwater also discuss the importance of “customizing” a person’s diet based on their own personal needs. Such things to consider include body type, gender, activity level, and age as all of these aspects play a part in what a person needs in their diet. One of the most important aspects of customization is the determination of calories needed per day. Duffy and Atwater define calories as “a measurement of energy produced by food when oxidized or burned in the body” (Duffy and Atwater, 2008).

For example, a person with low activity levels will have a lower caloric intake from their food than a person who has a high activity level because of the fact that a person with lower levels of activity will not be burning that energy from the consumed food off as quickly as the person with high activity levels. In the end, eating sensibly is the main idea behind a well-balanced diet. Of course, having a well-balanced diet is much easier in a first world country such as America where food is much more accessible.

By combining common sense and guides developed by health experts such as the Choose My Plate system, people are more informed as to the balance of food groups needed for their daily diets. ReferencesChooseMyPlate.gov. (2012). ChooseMyPlate.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2012, from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ Duffy, K. G., & Atwater, E. (2008). Psychology for living (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Pub.