• Question: Whats the point in eating food when it just goes out the other end?

    Asked by PonyGirl12 to Andy, Duane, Giovanna, Katie on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Katie Pickering

      Katie Pickering answered on 19 Nov 2014:


      We eat food as our body needs the nutrients in it to survive and perform all the chemical reactions internally that we don’t know are happening. We also need the energy that is stored in food so that we can move, think, breathe and talk. We need energy from food for everything that we do. What comes out the other end is the bits that we don’t need form the food, the waste.

    • Photo: Duane Mellor

      Duane Mellor answered on 19 Nov 2014:


      As Katie says the waste coming out the other end is different to the food going in (except possibly sweet corn skins) as the water, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are absorbed by us. Also the fibres are important as the bacteria in our colons ferment these to produce other compounds that keep us health and help maintain our immune system. Also eating food has an important social function, some scientists think as humans don’t have lots of hair, sharing food is our way of grooming (which apes do to each other) and making friendship bonds with others

    • Photo: Andrew Philp

      Andrew Philp answered on 19 Nov 2014:


      The end point is the part that we don’t need or can’t process. Its all the parts in-between that are important as our digestion takes all of the nutrients and vitamins from the food and then uses them to support daily function. The notion of balanced diet is important as it is providing your body with all the ingredients it needs to fully function.

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