Special Nutritional Needs for People with SCI/D
March 2006 – During National Nutrition month, United Spinal Association reminds all Americans that the “battle of the bulge” is tough enough for an able-bodied person, but for individuals with spinal cord injury or disorders (SCI/D), it can be much more difficult. Obesity comes with a host of health issues, including increased risk for diabetes and heart disease, which may be deadly for people with spinal cord injury or disorders (SCI/D). Dr. David Gater Jr. director of Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at the University of Michigan and a research physician at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center has made a study of this epidemic.
Gater says that because people with SCI/D have less muscle mass, the resting metabolic rate in these individuals is markedly diminished and 60% to 70% become obese. Other factors that can account for a slower metabolic rate is that growth hormone levels are decreased, testosterone levels are reduced, and thyroid hormone levels may be disrupted following a spinal cord injury.
Watching what you eat takes on a different meaning for a person with a SCI/D. Besides such general advice as staying away from sweets and fats, if a person with SCI/D has a skin wound, such as a pressure ulcer, his or her protein needs will be greater. Special considerations regarding caloric intake are important to recognize as well. “It depends on what their muscle mass and activity levels are but, in general, I would say their caloric requirements are two-thirds that of the normal population,” said Gater. “A man of a certain age, height and weight typically requires 2,500 calories a day. If he sustained a thoracic spinal cord injury, his needs would typically drop by about a third, because of less muscle mass and hormonal changes.”
To read more about the epidemic of obesity in individuals with SCI/D, please visit: Action Online: An Epidemic of Overweight.
Since its founding in 1946, United Spinal has worked to enable its members, as well as other persons with disabilities, to lead full and productive lives. In addition to helping write the American with Disabilities Act, United Spinal was also instrumental in drafting portions of the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. United Spinal promotes compliance with these laws and educates the public about them through publications and workshops held across the United States. Membership in the Association is free and open to all people with spinal cord disabilities. For more information, please call 800-404-2898.