The true meaning of 'Nutrition'

Nutrition: 

                 1) The science or practice of taking in or utilizing foods 

                 2) A nourishing substance...

                                                                 (Webmaster's Medical Dictionary)

                 3) The act or process of nourishing or being nourished; 
                      specifically - the sum of  the processes by which an 
                      animal or plant takes in  and utilizes food...

                                                                                       (The Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Nourish:

                 1) to provide with food

                 2) to foster the development of.

Antonym :

                    (abandon, deprive, neglect, starve)

As much as it has become commonplace to use the word “nutrition” in the sense that the Webmaster's Medical dictionary interprets it, on further consideration it becomes obvious that the Merriam Webster Dictionary interpretation more closely approximates what nutrition truly is, in a holistic sense.

The subject of nutrition is indeed about food, but the first definition given above can be very misleading if one is led to assume that nutrition is only about the consumption of food. The second definition on the other hand presents the subject in a much broader sense which can be considered from two main viewpoints : 

1) That nutrition is a process. Not one action, but a series of actions among which food intake (or consumption) is just one small step. In other words, the process of nutrition straddles an entire series of events involving legislation, production (agriculture), distribution (storage, quality control, transportation, marketing), consumption, and the short and long term effects of food and physical activity choices on the health of the individual and in consequence the overall productivity of a nation.

To neglect or ignore any of these crucial steps in the process that is nutrition, is to do so at the expense of the achievement of the primary goal – the provision of high quality and readily available food to every individual in such a way as to bring about the optimum health and productivity of every citizen.

2) That nutrition in its most fundamental sense, is about development and growth.This too may be considered on two broad platforms: 

       a) Development of the individual and

       b) Socioeconomic development. In other words - development of the nation.

Development of the individual

A common ideology of many faiths is that man consists of more than just a physical body and that beyond this tangible physical body, man is also made up of a soul and a spirit. The soul, they claim, is the seat of the mind or man's intellect; from where our thought processes derive. If that is the case, then nutrition (beyond how we have come to view it) should cover the nurturing and development of the human body with food and regular, substantial, physical activity, as well as development of the mind and the human spirit.

Proponents of this ideology generally are agreed on the fact that the acquisition of knowledge and healthy interactions with other human beings constitute the “food” that the soul needs to thrive. It is perhaps on the issue of the ways that the human spirit can be nourished that opinions become divergent. Be that as it may, on the subject of the necessity of nourishing ones spirit (whatever the means employed) there is no dissension.

Some argue that it is the neglect of this very important (but much overlooked) aspect of nutrition and the consequent deprivation felt by individuals at a subconscious level that has contributed in no small way to the epidemic of obesity. Whether for reasons of loneliness, economic hardship, relationship failures or work related issues, stress is a normal part of life, something we all face daily. It attacks the mind and spirit and the individual senses it at a much deeper level than just the physical. Where there is no other known means of nurturing (defending) himself, he turns to what he is familiar with – food, to meet that need.

Development of the Nation

The importance of sound nutrition to the overall health and progress of a nation is another issue that is generally agreed upon; even in nations where little or nothing is done by governments to implement policies and programs that will ensure that the primary goal of proper nutrition is achieved.

In general, societies where malnutrition is prevalent, whether due to insufficient intake or excessive intake, are societies that experience considerable loss of manpower and productivity with consequent socioeconomic decline. Nutrition, and those involved in all its many processes, seeks to address this problem of lack on the one hand and surfeit on the other, which results in deprivation in the face of plenty.

Nutrition therefore is the sum total of all the processes that culminate in the physical, mental and spiritual health and well being of the individual and society as a whole. That's what nutrition means to me. So now the question is - What does the word 'nutrition' mean to you?