1. Diagnostic Tools to Evaluate Health and Diet

2. What is a diagnostic tool?
‘A scientific or mathematical tool used by doctors, dieticians, nutritionists, scientists and researchers to ascertain nutritional status and diagnose nutritional problems.’ (Magee and Oliver 2010)

3. Waist to Hip Ratio Indicator of body fat distribution in adults
Waist measurement divided by hip measurement.
Less than 0.9 for men
Less than 0.8 for women
These waist measurements are recommended for Caucasian men and Caucasian and Asian women.

4. Waist Circumference A tool to indicate health risks. For men:
94cm or more = increased risk
102cm or more = greatly increased risk
For women:
80cm or more = increased risk
88cm or more = greatly increased risk

5. Waist Circumference
Health risks relate to the central distribution of body fat.
Increased central distribution of body fat is related to:
Diabetes
Hypertension
High cholesterol
Cardiovascular disease

6. Measure Up Campaign – Target Audience
Aims to:
provide Australians with the tools and understanding to make healthy lifestyle choices
to increase awareness of the link between chronic disease and lifestyle risk factors (poor nutrition, physical inactivity, unhealthy weight);
The campaign primarily targets year olds who have children
The secondary target audience is year olds
25-50 years olds are targeted because their behaviour is likely to have an impact on their children’s lifestyle behaviours. Parents also tend to be interested in their long-term health and want to see their children grow up.
45-60yr olds are targeted, because many people in this group are likely to either have been diagnosed with a chronic disease or are experiencing the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.

7. Swap it Don’t Stop It – Campaign Messages
Focused on promoting the simple, everyday changes people can make to get them on their way to a healthier lifestyle without losing all the things they love.
Healthy eating and getting active can help you lose centimetres and prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease.
You don’t have to stop it, just swap it.
Swap big for small
Swap often for sometimes
Swap sitting for moving
Swap watching for playing
The campaign builds on the awareness created by the Measure Up campaign and shows people how they can make small lifestyle changes to improve their health.

8. Weight for height tables
Measure of body mass to height
Expressed as a percentage – normal range is 90%-110%
Many tools don’t allow for different frame sizes and body shapes
So What is the right weight for my heigh

10. Caliper Body Fat Measurements
Must measure same sites, same pressure, at the same time of the day
To be accurate they must be conducted by a trained person (nutritionist, doctor)
Three measurements are taken from six sites and then averaged
Sites include triceps, biceps, subscapular, supraspinale, mid abdominal and medial calf

11. Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI is a measure of weight for height.
BMI does not distinguish between weight due to fat or weight due to muscle. E.g. Athletes and Weightlifters
BMI data developed based on data from Anglo-Saxon background; thus, height, weight and fat distribution among different ethnic groups is not taken into account.

12. BMI Women Men Underweight <18 <19 Healthy weight 19-24 20-25
Overweight
25-30
26-30
Obese
>30

13. Biochemical Tests Haematological Tests Immunology Studies Blood tests
Serum Iron, HDL Cholesterol, Triglycerides
Tissue tests
Urine tests
Immunology Studies
The cells responsible for immune mechanisms and antibody levels can be assessed.
Malnutrition can impair immune status
For example, with protein and water soluble vitamin deficiencies antibody responses are suppressed. In turn, tissues are invaded by infective organisms.

14. Homework Revise page 93 and complete Activity 12
Complete the case study in Activity 13