Nutrition, exercise and health

Abstract

This chapter focuses on scientific findings and theory surrounding nutrition and exercise and how the right nutrition and exercise can improve health-related outcomes. Nutrition and diet will be examined synonymously, and this examination will cover controversial areas such as saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, alcohol, fibre, sugar, fast food and some of the diets on offer. This chapter should provide you with an understanding of diet, exercise, weight gain and eating disorders. This means that we will try to delve into the many complex motivators for food selection and consumption. If there was ever an area in science that has been regarded as difficult, contentious and full of 'gurus' who preach 'the truth', that might be the science of nutrition, and especially how the food we ingest has the power to affect our health. Given our current state of knowledge, it seems safe to say that anyone trying to sell you the perfect diet is really only selling the idea of a perfect diet and not the perfect diet per se.