Personal Diets and Eating Disorders

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1Summary 重點摘要

At S3 nutrition becomes personal: dietary goals differ by age and health condition, micronutrient gaps have clear consequences, eating disorders deserve serious attention, and reading food labelling regulations is the basic skill for keeping the whole family safe.

2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary

3Step by step Steps

1. Dietary goals differ by ageRecommended daily intakes and dietary guidelines vary across age groups. Teenagers need extra calcium, iron and protein for growth; adults focus on limiting fat, salt and sugar; older people need soft, mild, nutrient-dense dishes because chewing and digestion weaken. For example, the same dinner might give a Secondary 3 student a glass of milk for calcium, a working parent steamed low-oil dishes, and Grandma finely cut, well-cooked food with less salt.
2. Individual needs and dietary requirementsMeals must also fit the individual. People allergic to peanuts, seafood or eggs must avoid those allergens; the lactose intolerant can swap milk for soy milk; diabetics control sugar and starch portions while those with hypertension need low salt; vegetarians get protein and iron from beans and nuts. For example, when planning lunch for a diabetic grandfather, halve the white rice and mix in brown rice, serve fresh fruit instead of sweet soup, and note the reasons beside the menu.
3. Vitamins A, B group, C and DVitamins keep the body running, and shortages have clear results. Vitamin A protects the retina, and long-term lack causes night blindness; the B vitamins help release energy from carbohydrate and maintain the nervous system; vitamin C strengthens immunity, aids collagen formation and wound healing, and severe lack causes scurvy; vitamin D helps absorb calcium and its lack raises the risk of rickets and osteoporosis. For example, carrots and dark green vegetables supply vitamin A, brown rice and eggs the B group, oranges vitamin C, and sunlight plus dairy vitamin D.
4. Minerals: iron, calcium, iodine and sodiumMinerals are just as essential. Iron builds haemoglobin, and lack causes iron-deficiency anaemia with tiredness and pallor; calcium forms bones and teeth and aids muscle contraction; iodine is the raw material of thyroid hormones, and lack causes goitre; sodium balances body fluids, but excess over the long term raises the risk of hypertension. For example, beef and spinach eaten with vitamin-C-rich fruit help iron absorption; beancurd, milk and small fish with bones give calcium; iodised salt prevents goitre; instant noodles and pickles are high in sodium and only occasional treats.
5. Food supply and safety issuesHong Kong imports most of its food, so local and global supply moves with climate, transport and world markets, making prices and variety unstable — shoppers should know seasonal produce and substitutes. Safety issues such as pesticide residues, heavy-metal and microbial contamination remind us to buy from licensed shops and follow official food alerts. Storage and cooking also affect nutrition: vegetables should not soak long or be overcooked, or water-soluble vitamins are lost. For example, after a typhoon when vegetables are expensive, frozen vegetables keep both nutrition and budget on track.
6. Eating disorders: causes, effects and helpEating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Their causes weave together psychological stress, the slim ideal spread by media and online messages, and the damage is severe — delayed growth, hormonal problems and even life-threatening effects. Telling fact from rumour matters: extreme plans promising to lose ten pounds a week are rumour, while balanced diet plus moderate exercise rests on evidence. For example, a classmate who replaces every meal with meal-replacement drinks, loses weight rapidly and often feels dizzy is showing a danger sign. Accept the body's natural changes during adolescence; if you or a classmate shows abnormal eating, seek help early from family, teachers, the school social worker or professionals.
7. Factors shaping food choicesFood choices are pulled by many forces at once: health concerns push some people to low-sugar, low-fat products; culture and religion decide what may be eaten; social trends and peers drive fashions; budget limits economics; technology changes supply, as online grocery and delivery platforms widen choice but also make oily, salty restaurant food easier to order. Health foods and supplements claim to improve health, but the basic idea is that a balanced diet comes first and supplements only fill specific gaps on professional advice. For example, when an energy drink spreads among classmates, read the label before deciding rather than following blindly.
8. Food labelling regulations and guidesHong Kong regulates prepackaged food under the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations: labels must show the product name, an ingredient list, dates marked best before or use by, and nutrition information. Labelling guides on allergens, food additives and date formats help the trade declare common allergens such as peanut, egg, milk and gluten, while GM food follows a voluntary labelling guideline. Read ingredients and dates first, then compare nutrition data — that is how a family's food safety is guarded. For example, choosing biscuits for a peanut-allergic classmate: even without peanut in the ingredients, watch for the warning that the product may contain traces.

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8Recap Recap

• Recommended intakes differ by age and condition — list requirements first, then design the diet
• Vitamin and mineral gaps have named results: night blindness, scurvy, anaemia and goitre all trace to diet
• Eating disorders have complex causes; tell fact from rumour, accept your body, seek help early
• Prepackaged food in Hong Kong falls under the Composition and Labelling Regulations — check ingredients, dates and nutrition
• Food choices are shaped by health, culture, society, economics and technology — read health-food claims critically