Assignment Details

Diet Analysis and Comparison across the Life Cycle and Comparison of Food Assistance Programs

Unit outcomes addressed in this Assignment:

  • Describe the food assistance programs available throughout the lifespan.
  • Discuss the eligibility requirements for SNAP and WIC.
  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of SNAP and WIC.
  • Compare SNAP and WIC and their focus on prevention.

Course outcome assessed/addressed in this Assignment:

NS325-1: Discuss how nutrient needs change throughout the life cycle.

NS325-6: Identify nutrition education and food assistance programs available to pregnant women, infants, children and the elderly.

GEL-1.03: Demonstrate college-level communication through the oral delivery of original materials in Standard American English.

Instructions: 

This Assignment is divided into two sections. The first section requires you to compare nutrients throughout the life stages. The second section requires you to compare the varying approaches of food assistance programs designed to assist specific populations.

Part I: Nutrients across the Life Cycle

For the first part of your Assignment, complete the table below for total calories, total carbohydrates, protein, total fat, calcium, iron, vitamin D, and folic acid to the RDAs/DRIs of the listed life stages. You will need to determine the energy needs for infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elders. The book has several equations to determine these needs (e.g. kcal/kgBW, Harris- Benedict, Mifflin St-Jeor).

After determining the energy needs, determine the macronutrients in grams. For example, if a child needs 2000 calories, 50% of those calories from carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and 30% from fat; that would be 250 grams carbohydrates, 100 grams protein, and 67 grams fat. Then, use the book or this website (http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/DRI-Tables.aspx) to locate the DRIs for each age group for the micronutrients:

  1. Infants (7-month-old female, 26 inches, 18 pounds)
  2. Child (5-year-old male, 44 inches, 38 pounds, who runs around at school for about 45 minutes per day)
  3. Teen (15-year-old male, 71 inches, 155 pounds, who works out 6 days per week for 60 minutes by playing basketball)
  4. Adult (32-year-old female, 63 inches, 123 pounds, who works out 4 days per week for 30 minutes by running on the treadmill)
  5. Elderly (62-year-old male, 69 inches, 188 pounds, who walks 1 mile 7 days per week, which is about 40 minutes total each day)

Use the below table to provide the information above for each age group.

Nutrients Age Groups and RDAs/DR        
  Infants (7- month-old) Children (5-

year-old male)

 Adolesce

nt (15- year-old

male)

 Adult

(32-

year-old f e male)

 Elder

(62 – year-old

male)
Calories          
Carbohydrates          
Protein          
Total Fat          
Iron          
Calcium          
Vitamin D          
Folic Acid          

Choose 1 macronutrient, 1 vitamin, and 1 mineral from the table above. Discuss why these particular nutrients increase/decrease/or remain the same throughout each life stage.

Part II: Oral Presentation comparing WIC and SNAP

The nutrition status and food choices described in part I are influenced by many factors including socioeconomic status, knowledge, and access to healthy foods. In order to meet the nutritional needs you described previously, many Americans rely upon food assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP.

You work in the nutrition department of a local medical clinic. Many of the clients are low income families. Your manager has asked you to create a written presentation with bullets to inform the clinic’s staff of the requirements, benefits, and drawbacks of WIC and SNAP. Include WIC and SNAP’s eligibility requirements (i.e., income level, risk factors, etc.) and at least two advantages and two disadvantages for WIC and SNAP.

Requirements Part II:

Part II will be about the eligibility requirements, and the advantages and disadvantages of the WIC and SNAP programs.

Note: Refer to the WIC and SNAP links located in the required reading section for Unit 9.

This part should use the following format:

WIC Eligibility Requirements

  • Introduce WIC and describe the eligibility requirements. You should cover the following in your explanation:
  • Income requirement
  • Age, gender, and/or life stage
  • Nutritional factors (if any)

SNAP Eligibility Requirements

  • Introduce SNAP and describe the eligibility requirements. You should cover the following in your explanation:
  • Income requirement
  • Age, gender, and/or life stage
  • Nutritional factors (if any)

Advantages and Disadvantages for WIC

  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the WIC program. Use these questions to guide your discussion:
    • What benefits does this program provide?
    • Are there restrictions on purchases (types of food, non-food items, etc.)?
    • Does this program provide additional services (nutrition education, health care, etc.)?
    • Can these benefits be used in a variety of settings (stores, farmer’s markets, etc.)?
    • Is there a potential for abuse of these benefits?

Advantages and Disadvantages of SNAP

  • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of SNAP. Use these questions to guide your discussion:
    • What benefits does this program provide?
    • Are there restrictions on purchases (types of food, non-food items, etc.)?
    • Does this program provide additional services (nutrition education, health care, etc.)?
    • Can these benefits be used in a variety of settings (stores, farmer’s markets, etc.)?
    • Is there a potential for abuse of these benefits?

Reading and Resources

The Reading this week concerns food assistance programs throughout the lifecycle (pregnant and lactating females, women, infants, children, males, and elderly). After the Readings, you should be able to discuss and explain the different types of food assistant programs available. These Readings will prepare you to speak to various age groups with assistance available and how to eat well when receiving assistance.

Required:

Deen, D., & Hark, L. (2007). The complete guide to nutrition in primary care. Malden, Mass: Wiley-Blackwell.

Chapter 16: “Community Counts”

The following information is available on the USDA’s website: