Which of the following statement is false?

Appeared in: NIA - 29 January 2023

Explanation

The statement that carbohydrates provide 5 kcal/g of energy is incorrect.
According to the Atwater general system for energy calculation, carbohydrates provide approximately 4 kcal per gram.
This value is the same as that for protein (4 kcal/g), while fat provides a much higher 9 kcal/g.
Therefore, the statement in option B is the false one, making it the correct answer to the question.

Option A: This statement is true. Proteins are a major macronutrient and are correctly stated to provide 4 kcal of energy per gram.
Option C: This statement is true. Fats are the most energy-dense macronutrient, correctly stated as providing 9 kcal of energy per gram.
Option D: This statement is considered true as a standard estimation in nutrition. Although dietary fibre is largely indigestible, its fermentation in the colon by gut microbiota yields short-chain fatty acids, which provide approximately 2 kcal of energy per gram.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Energy values of macronutrients (Atwater system) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses use these caloric values (Atwater factors) to calculate a patient's total daily energy intake, assess nutritional status, and plan dietary interventions.
This knowledge is crucial for managing patients on special diets, enteral (tube) feeding, or total parenteral nutrition (TPN), ensuring they receive adequate energy for recovery and maintenance.
Patient education on reading food labels and making healthy choices relies on understanding that fats contain more than double the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is to find the 'false' statement among the options provided.
This is a factual recall question. Access your knowledge about the standard energy values (Atwater factors) for macronutrients and other food components.
Systematically evaluate each option against the known facts: Protein provides 4 kcal/g, Carbohydrate provides 4 kcal/g, Fat provides 9 kcal/g, and Dietary Fibre provides approximately 2 kcal/g.
Compare the value given in each statement with the standard, correct value.
The statement for carbohydrates (5 kcal/g) does not match the standard value (4 kcal/g), identifying it as the false statement and thus the correct answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QL1b0WmpQ1Cz9nWdPGvfpC

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 169-171

E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 49-51

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 436-438

Practise the full NIA - 29 January 2023

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.