Physical activity entails any action that causes the body to consume energy. Some activities result in high energy use while others result in low to moderate use energy consumption. The intensity of a person’s physical activity determines the type of physical activity factor used to calculate the energy requirements. According to Franz, Boucher and Pereira (2011), the physical activity factor may either be sedentary, low active, active or very active. A very active physical activity factor is calculated by BMR X 1.725 (Rolfes, Pinna & Whitney, 2014).
BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight (kg) + (4.799 x height (cm)
(5.677 x age in years)
=88.362 + (13.397 x 75) + (4.799 x 180) - (5.677 x 25)
=1815.032
=1815.032*1.725
=3130.9302 Calories
A person’s energy requirements depend on gender, age and physical activity. My activity level meets the requirements of an active lifestyle.
Breastfeeding
In a world where women work just as hard to provide for the family, breastfeeding has taken a back seat as mothers have to choose between working and breastfeeding. However, recent surveys show that breastfeeding has become more popular in America owing to recent research findings that breastfed children became more intelligent and economically empowered compared to other children (LaMotte, 2015).
Depending on a person’s ethnic background and level of education, cultural factors may persuade mothers against breastfeeding. For instance, it is difficult for a mother to breastfeed in a community where every mother uses the bottle (Osman, Zein, & Wick, 2009). Also, social and family support plays a crucial role in breastfeeding. In some cultures, mothers believe that their milk is not sufficient to provide complete nutritional value to the infant. For this reason, the replace or heavily supplement breast milk with the formula (Osman, Zein, & Wick, 2009, par. 6).
References
Franz, M. J., Boucher, J., & Pereira, R. F. (2011). ADA Pocket Guide to Lipid Disorders, Hypertension, Diabetes, and Weight Management. Chicago: American Dietetic Association.
LaMotte, S (2015). Extended breastfeeding linked to higher IQ and income in study.CNN. Retreived from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/03/18/health/breastfeeding-iq-income/
Osman, H., El Zein, L., & Wick, L. (2009). Cultural beliefs that may discourage breastfeeding among Lebanese women: a qualitative analysis. International Breastfeeding Journal, 4(1), 12. Retrieved from https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-4358-4-12
Rolfes, S. R., Pinna, K., & Whitney, E. (2014). Understanding normal and clinical nutrition. Boston: Cengage Learning.
