As noted in the textbook, “Of the leading causes of death listed in Table 1-1, four are directly related to nutrition, and another – motor vehicle and other accidents – is related to drinking alcohol” (Sizer & Whitney, 2014, p. 3).  Expanding on the information from the quote above, please provide a comprehensive response to the following statements:

• Analyze why nutrition is important and how it impacts physical and mental health as well as increases our risk for disease if inadequate diets are consumed.
• Distinguish the six classes of nutrients (water, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals) and explain how they individually and collectively help us to maintain our health status.
• Discuss the five characteristics of a healthy diet and provide a dietary example for each.
• Explain how nutrition is a science and how the scientific method is used in this field.
• Summarize the four different types of studies (case, epidemiological, intervention, and laboratory studies) and explain the use of research in the development of dietary guidelines.
• Appraise the six stages of behavior change and provide a diet-related example for each of the stages.

This assignment must be a minimum of three pages in length (excluding title and references pages) in APA format. Include a minimum of two scholarly sources cited according to APA format.