← Health & Food Technology syllabus

ScotlandHealth & Food Technology

Area 1: Food, nutrition and health

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How does diet cause or prevent disease, and what dietary changes reduce the risk?

The relationship between diet and the major diet-related conditions and diseases - obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, bowel disorders and bowel cancer, osteoporosis, anaemia and hypertension - including the dietary causes and the dietary changes that reduce the risk.
An SQA Higher Health and Food Technology answer on diet-related diseases, covering the dietary causes of and dietary changes for obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, bowel disorders, osteoporosis, anaemia and hypertension.
11 min answer →

What is current dietary advice, and how do dietary needs change across life and for different groups?

Current dietary advice (the Scottish Dietary Goals and the Eatwell guidance) and how the dietary needs of individuals change across life stages and for particular groups - pregnancy and lactation, babies, children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and vegetarians and vegans.
An SQA Higher Health and Food Technology answer on current dietary advice (the Scottish Dietary Goals) and how dietary needs differ across life stages and for groups - pregnancy, babies, children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and vegetarians and vegans.
11 min answer →

What are proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and what do they do for health?

The functions, food sources and health implications of the macronutrients - protein (including biological value), fats and oils (saturated and unsaturated), and carbohydrates (sugars, starch and non-starch polysaccharide) - and the role of food in supplying energy.
An SQA Higher Health and Food Technology answer on the macronutrients, covering the functions, sources and health effects of protein (and biological value), fats and oils, and carbohydrates, plus how food supplies the body with energy.
10 min answer →

Why does the body need vitamins, minerals and water, and what happens when it is short of them?

The functions, food sources and deficiency or excess effects of the main vitamins (A, B group, C, D, E, folic acid) and minerals (calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, fluoride), and the role of water in the diet.
An SQA Higher Health and Food Technology answer on micronutrients, covering the functions, sources and deficiency or excess effects of the main vitamins (A, B group, C, D, E, folic acid) and minerals (calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus, fluoride), plus the role of water.
10 min answer →