VMBO Year 2 · HAVO/VWO Years 2–3 · Nutrition and digestion · Section 2.4

Healthy eating

The Dutch Wheel of Five

The Dutch Nutrition Centre uses the Wheel of Five, or Schijf van Vijf, to explain a healthy eating pattern. Its five sections represent food groups, not just individual nutrients:

• Green: Vegetables and fruit, supplying vitamins, minerals and fibre.
• Yellow: Spreading and cooking fats, supplying fats and fat-soluble vitamins.
• Pink: Foods such as pulses, nuts, fish, eggs, dairy and suitable alternatives, supplying protein and other nutrients.
• Orange: Bread, wholegrain cereals and potatoes, supplying carbohydrates and other nutrients.
• Blue: Drinks, preferably water and other suitable unsweetened drinks.

Eating a varied selection from these groups helps meet nutrient needs. Plant foods make up a large part of the pattern. Each group supplies more than one nutrient.

Energy

Food energy is measured in kilojoules (kJ) or kilocalories (kcal).

1 kcal ≈ 4.2 kJ

Energy needs depend on age, growth, body size, sex and activity. Boys have higher average energy needs than girls in many age groups, but individual needs vary greatly. The body also uses energy at rest.

Body mass

Over time, body energy stores depend partly on energy intake and expenditure:

• An energy surplus can increase stored body fat.
• An energy deficit causes the body to use stored energy.

Growing young people also need energy and materials to develop. Genes, hormones, health and circumstances influence body size and composition.

Excess body fat can increase the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and may increase loading on joints. Too little available energy or nutrients can impair growth, reduce muscle tissue and weaken bones.

Malnutrition can result from insufficient food or from an unbalanced diet lacking essential nutrients. It can occur at different body sizes.

BMI

Body mass index (BMI) relates body mass to height:

BMI = mass in kilograms ÷ (height in metres × height in metres)

For many adults, a BMI from 18.5 to below 25 is used as a general healthy-weight reference range. It is a screening measure, not a complete health assessment.

For children and teenagers, interpretation depends on exact age and sex. Adult cut-offs and one fixed range for all 12–14-year-olds should not be used. Waist measurement can provide additional information about fat distribution in adults.

Changing weight

Young people should not try to change their weight by skipping meals or following restrictive diets. Regular, varied meals support growth. Anyone concerned about weight, growth or eating can ask a doctor or qualified dietitian for help.

Eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious illnesses affecting eating behaviour and sometimes body image. They can occur at any body size.

• Anorexia nervosa: Restricting food intake, often with an intense fear of gaining weight, which can lead to severe malnutrition and life-threatening complications.
• Bulimia nervosa: Recurrent binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours, such as vomiting or misuse of laxatives. These behaviours can damage health, including the oesophagus and body salt balance.
• Binge-eating disorder: Recurrent binge eating with a feeling of loss of control, without regular compensatory behaviours. It causes distress and may affect physical health.