Nutrition and Diet

In Maltepe University Faculty of Medicine Hospitals Department of Nutrition and Diet, also known as nutrition and dietetics, individuals are taught the correct nutrition techniques they need for a healthy life. Nutrition, which is very important for maintaining vital activities and protecting one's health, is unfortunately seen as a concept that should be paid attention only if the person is sick. However, individuals can reduce the risk of various disabilities and premature death by eating right, and avoid preventable diseases.

While malnutrition and unbalanced nutrition are indirectly effective in the emergence of some diseases, they can be the direct cause of some diseases. Special diet programs are prepared for each individual and nutrition education is given in Maltepe University Medical Faculty Hospitals Nutrition and Diet Department.

Another problem caused by malnutrition is obesity. Obesity, which is one of the most important health problems of developed and developing countries, affects countries both economically and with loss of life with the death cases it causes. Obesity, which is directly related to nutrition, both protects the person from health problems and prevents the loss of workforce in the society with healthy nutrition.

In many diseases caused by obesity, the nutritional status of the patient is followed up with adequate and balanced nutrition programs during and after the treatment. The nutrition program is applied in cases of not gaining weight, such as anorexia. In addition to these diseases, nutrition has a great importance in other issues such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes. At Maltepe University Medical Faculty Hospitals, patients are taught a special nutritional method, taking into account the health, age and nutritional habits of the patient, with a multidisciplinary approach.

Preventive Nutrition Stages

The importance of nutrition in childhood: The seeds of many diseases encountered in adult patients are actually laid in childhood. Therefore, the more proper nutrition education is given to children, the healthier they will be in later ages. If you have questions about whether you are guiding your child about nutrition correctly or whether he/she is eating properly at school, Maltepe University Medical Faculty Hospitals Nutrition and Diet Department specialists will guide you in this regard.

Nutrition for Adolescents: Adolescence is the period in which children care most about their physical characteristics and therefore they need the right guidance on nutrition the most. Otherwise, they may cause irreversible permanent damage to themselves by applying false information for the sake of beauty. If you observe such malnutrition tendencies in your child, you can find the counseling service you need in Maltepe University Medical Faculty Hospitals Department of Nutrition and Diet.

Nutrition during pregnancy: Proper nutrition during pregnancy is very important for both the healthy development of the baby and the mother's own health. You can get counseling from our nutrition and diet department for not gaining more weight than necessary and what to do during lactation.

Nutrition during breastfeeding: The nutrition and diet department creates a correct nutrition program for mothers to breastfeed their babies in a healthy way and not to gain weight during this period.

Therapeutic Nutrition According to Diseases

For heart patients: Cholesterol and fat taken from foods should be kept under control in a way that does not disturb the intake balance of other nutrients. Medical nutrition therapy, which is necessary for heart patients to continue their lives in a healthy way, is applied by the nutrition and diet department.

For Diabetes patients, and patients with gestational diabetes: Personally programmed medical nutrition treatments are applied in order to maintain the ideal weight of the person and to prevent other possible diseases related to diabetes. Thus, the person's blood sugar is kept under control.

For gout patients: In the medical nutrition therapy for this disease, a purine-limited diet is applied to keep the uric acid level at an ideal level.

For patients with urinary tract and kidney stones: Kidney stone formation is a recurring condition if necessary precautions are not taken. In order to prevent this, the type of stone found in the patient is determined and a medical nutrition program is preferred accordingly.

For those with kidney disease: Medical nutrition treatments of kidney patients are planned depending on the level of damage to the kidneys of the patient and their biochemical results.

Nutritional Disorder (malnutrition): There can be many reasons for malnutrition. Although it is generally caused by malnutrition in my infancy or adulthood, it can also occur due to a disease (cancer, AIDS, etc.). In this case, the amounts that the person consumes and can consume are prepared by the nutrition and diet department experts, taking into account their needs.

Obesity: Obesity, which is seen in many countries of the world and spreading rapidly day by day, puts individuals not only physically, but also in a metabolically distressed situation by causing many chronic diseases.

In cases where the amount of energy that a person receives from food is more than the amount of energy expended, an increase in the body's fat mass is experienced. This condition turns into a multifactorial disease when the weight for height exceeds the required level and must be treated.

Many different methods can be used in the diagnosis of obesity. The most preferred of these methods is the Body Mass Index formula. According to this formula, the weight of the person is divided by the square of the height in meters and it is checked which part it falls into in the following scale.

BMI Weight (kg) / Height (m²)
BMI VALUES;
Below 18.9 kg/m² - WEAK
Between 19-24.9 kg/m² - NORMAL
Between 25-29.9 kg/m² - BULK (LIGHTLY FAT)
Between 30-34.9 kg/m² - FAT (OBESE) (RISKY FOR HEALTH!)
Those over 35 - OVERFAT (HIGH RISK FOR HEALTH)

Treatment of inability to gain weight and nutritional disorders: In diseases such as anorexia and bulimia, patient-specific nutrition programs are prepared and the disease is combated with supportive treatments, just as in obesity.