Cystic Fibrosis?

Question

Why do people with Cystic Fiborosis need more calories than normal health people?

Answer 1

This is what I love about YA. It forces me to learn new things. I did not know this relationship about caloric intake and CF. Here's some info I just found:

The value of oral calorie supplements for children with cystic fibrosis is unclear
Cystic fibrosis (CF) affects many organs, including the gastrointestinal tract, and can lead to malabsorption of food and growth problems. Children with CF have increased energy requirements, but often reduced appetite. Poor nutrition has been associated with poor outcomes in CF. Therefore, diets of children with CF are often supplemented by calorie-fortified milks or juices. While this may or may not increase calorie absorption, it might also have an adverse effect on normal eating behaviour. However, the reviewers found that there has been too little evaluation of calorie supplementation in trials, so the effects remain unclear.

Answer 2

It takes calories to fight a disease process. It take calories to fight an infection and people with CF almost always have a lung infection.

Another component of CF is that most have reduced absorption of food, so it helps to pass more calories through the system to insure that at least some of them are absorbed.

Answer 3

people with CF need more calories because their body doesn't absorb the nutrition as well as a normal person. so to stay up to normal weight you have to eat twice as much.

From:another CFer

Answer 4

They need them to boost their immune system...Having more calories will help stave off the effects of the disease, plus it gives them the extra energy they need just to get through the day.

Answer 5

because this illness affects the digestive system as well as the lungs.

Answer 6

Sorry, i Don't get it