What does the CCEA AS 2 Diet, Lifestyle and Health unit cover?

Unit AS 2 applies the science of nutrition to health. It covers current dietary guidelines and government strategy (the Eatwell Guide, food labelling and policy), the main diet-related diseases (obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, diet and cancer, and conditions of bone, teeth and blood such as osteoporosis, dental caries and anaemia), and the functional and chemical properties of nutrients in food. It asks students to investigate and evaluate current research on diet, lifestyle and health, and is assessed by an external written examination.

How does diet link to coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes?

A high intake of saturated and trans fat raises blood LDL cholesterol, which is deposited in artery walls (atherosclerosis) and reduces blood flow to the heart, while a high salt intake raises blood pressure; together these increase coronary heart disease risk. Type 2 diabetes develops when excess body fat makes cells resistant to insulin so blood glucose stays high; obesity, a diet high in free sugars and inactivity raise the risk. Both conditions share the advice to maintain a healthy weight and eat a balanced, high-fibre diet.

What are the functional properties of nutrients I need to know?

For protein: denaturation (unfolding by heat, acid or whisking), coagulation (setting, as in egg or custard), foaming (egg white in meringue) and gluten formation in dough. For carbohydrate: gelatinisation (starch swelling and thickening a liquid, then setting to a gel, used in sauces), dextrinisation (dry-heat browning, as in toast), caramelisation of sugar, and the Maillard reaction (browning from protein and sugar together). Each should be explained with a food example.

How is osteoporosis, dental caries and anaemia linked to diet?

Osteoporosis is the loss of bone density; it is prevented by building peak bone mass and protecting bone with calcium, vitamin D (needed to absorb calcium) and weight-bearing exercise. Dental caries occurs when plaque bacteria ferment free sugars to acid that dissolves enamel, so the amount and especially the frequency of sugar matters, with fluoride strengthening enamel. Iron-deficiency anaemia is too little haemoglobin; it is prevented by enough iron, with vitamin C improving the absorption of non-haem iron.

How should I revise the Diet, Lifestyle and Health unit?

Learn each disease as causes, mechanism, consequences and dietary advice, and notice how the advice overlaps (a healthy weight, more fibre, less saturated fat, salt and free sugar lowers several risks at once). Memorise the key recommendations and the Eatwell Guide messages, link each diet-related condition to the nutrients from Unit AS 1, and practise the functional-property explanations with food examples. Be ready to discuss and evaluate current research and government strategy, as CCEA rewards balanced judgement.

Northern IrelandNutrition & Food Science

CCEA A-Level Nutrition and Food Science Diet, Lifestyle and Health: a complete overview of dietary guidelines, diet-related disease and food science

A deep-dive CCEA A-Level Nutrition and Food Science guide to Unit AS 2 Diet, Lifestyle and Health. Covers current dietary guidelines and government strategy, the diet-related diseases (obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and bone, dental and blood conditions), and the functional properties of nutrients in food, with the research and evaluation skills CCEA examines.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.818 min readCCEAUpdated 2026-06-16

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

What this unit demands
Dietary guidelines and government strategy
The diet-related diseases
The functional properties of nutrients
How this unit is examined
Check your knowledge

What this unit demands

Diet, Lifestyle and Health is where the science of nutrition meets public health. Having learned the nutrients in Unit AS 1, students now investigate how diet and lifestyle protect or harm health, evaluate current research and government strategy, and understand how the nutrients behave when food is prepared. The examiners test the ability to explain disease mechanisms, justify dietary advice, and discuss evidence and policy in a balanced way.

This guide walks through the seven dot points of the unit, then sets out the exam patterns CCEA repeats. Each topic has a matching dot-point page with practice questions; this overview ties them together.

Dietary guidelines and government strategy

Current guidance is built on the Eatwell Guide and the 8 tips for healthy eating, with the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) reviewing evidence and setting Dietary Reference Values. Food labelling (reference intakes and traffic-light colours) helps consumers choose, and government strategy uses reformulation, the soft-drinks levy, school food standards and marketing restrictions to improve the nation's diet. CCEA expects you to evaluate both individual and population approaches.

Obesity results from a long-term energy surplus, is measured with BMI, and raises the risk of several other conditions. Coronary heart disease develops through atherosclerosis, driven by saturated fat (raising LDL cholesterol) and salt (raising blood pressure). Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance strongly linked to obesity and free sugars. Diet and cancer, especially bowel cancer, links to red and processed meat, low fibre, alcohol, obesity and salt, with fibre and fruit and vegetables protective. Bone, dental and blood conditions (osteoporosis, dental caries, anaemia) connect to calcium and vitamin D, free sugars and fluoride, and iron and vitamin C.

The functional properties of nutrients

The unit also covers how nutrients behave in food. Protein denatures, coagulates and foams and forms gluten; starch gelatinises (thickening sauces) and dextrinises (browning); and sugar caramelises while the Maillard reaction browns protein-and-sugar foods. These properties explain why and how foods are cooked and formulated, and link the science back to healthy-eating choices.

How this unit is examined

A typical CCEA profile for Diet, Lifestyle and Health:

Mechanism and explanation. Explaining how each diet-related disease develops and why a nutrient raises or lowers risk.
Dietary advice. Justifying the advice for each condition and the current guidelines, with reasons.
Evaluation of research and policy. Discussing evidence and government strategy in a balanced way.
Food science. Explaining functional properties with food examples and applying them to preparation.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and explanation questions covering the unit. Attempt them under timed conditions, then check against the solutions.

State the main food-group proportions advised by the Eatwell Guide. (2 marks)
Explain how a high intake of saturated fat increases coronary heart disease risk. (3 marks)
Explain the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. (2 marks)
Name two dietary factors that raise the risk of bowel cancer. (2 marks)
Explain why frequency of free-sugar intake matters for dental caries. (2 marks)
Name the two nutrients most important for preventing osteoporosis. (2 marks)
Explain the process of gelatinisation of starch. (3 marks)
State the difference between caramelisation and the Maillard reaction. (2 marks)

Solutions

Q1: About a third starchy carbohydrates (ideally wholegrain) and about a third fruit and vegetables, with some protein and dairy or alternatives, small amounts of unsaturated oils, and only occasional foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
Q2: A high saturated-fat intake raises blood LDL cholesterol, which is deposited in artery walls as atheroma (atherosclerosis), narrowing the coronary arteries and reducing blood and oxygen supply to the heart, causing angina or a heart attack.
Q3: Excess body fat, especially abdominal fat, makes cells resistant to insulin, so blood glucose stays high; obesity is therefore the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Q4: Any two of: a high intake of red and processed meat, a low fibre intake, excessive alcohol, obesity, a high salt intake.
Q5: Each time free sugars are eaten, plaque bacteria produce acid that attacks enamel, so eating sugar frequently means more frequent acid attacks and more decay.
Q6: Calcium (forms bone mineral) and vitamin D (needed to absorb calcium).
Q7: Heated in liquid, starch grains absorb liquid and swell from about 60 degrees Celsius, then burst at about 80 to 90 degrees, releasing starch that thickens the mixture, which sets to a gel on cooling.
Q8: Caramelisation is the browning of sugar alone under dry heat; the Maillard reaction is browning from a reaction between protein (amino acids) and sugar.

Sources & how we know this

CCEA GCE Nutrition and Food Science specification — CCEA (2016)