Recommended protein intake for an adult woman weighing $50\mathrm{kg}$ is -

Appeared in: UPPSC 2023

Explanation

The standard Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for a healthy, sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram (g/kg) of body weight per day.
To calculate the required protein intake, the body weight in kilograms is multiplied by the RDA value.
Calculation for a 50 kg woman: 50 kg × 0.8 g/kg/day = 40 grams/day.
This intake level is designed to meet the basic metabolic needs, maintain tissue, and prevent deficiency in the vast majority of healthy individuals.

Option A: This value (72 g/day) represents a much higher intake of 1.44 g/kg/day, which is excessive for a sedentary adult.
Option B: This value (35 g/day) is below the recommended minimum of 40 g/day (0.8 g/kg). An intake of 0.7 g/kg/day is insufficient to maintain nitrogen balance.
Option C: This value (85 g/day) represents a very high intake of 1.7 g/kg/day, which is far above the standard recommendation for a healthy, non-athletic adult.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Calculation of daily protein requirement for a healthy adult as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses frequently perform nutritional assessments and provide dietary counseling. Knowing how to calculate basic protein requirements is a fundamental skill for patient education and care planning.
It is critical to assess a patient's renal function (e.g., BUN, creatinine levels) before recommending a high-protein diet, as excessive protein can exacerbate kidney disease.
What if? If the 50 kg woman were pregnant (3rd trimester), her protein needs would increase significantly. The requirement would be approximately 1.1 g/kg, or an additional 22 g/day, bringing her total to around 55-62 g/day, not 40 g/day.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key information provided in the question: the patient is an adult woman weighing 50 kg.
The question asks for the 'recommended protein intake', which points to a standard dietary guideline.
Recall the standard Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for a healthy adult, which is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Perform the calculation: Multiply the body weight (50 kg) by the RDA (0.8 g/kg).
50 kg * 0.8 g/kg = 40 g.
Compare the calculated result (40 g) with the given options and select the matching value.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QV-X0T3j3iH8k-uemevGNY

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 170-172

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 435-437

Practise the full UPPSC 2023

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