Nutrition Assessment of Food and Nutrition-Related History
INTRODUCTION
This chapter addresses nutrition assessment topics that the International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology (IDNT) categorizes in the domain of Food and Nutrition- related History (1). Topics include food and nutrient intake; diet experience; medication and supplement use; behavior; beliefs and attitudes; food and nutrition-related knowledge; food availability; and physical activity.
FOOD AND NUTRIENT INTAKE
Clearly, a key to the nutrition assessment of a patient with a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder is the assessment of what he or she eats and drinks. In the hospital setting, note intake since admission as well as usual (reported) intake prior to hospitalization. In the outpatient setting, “usual” intake may vary greatly from day to day, or it can be rigidly routine. In some cases, a patient may be an excellent historian, in others, accurate information about intake can be notoriously difficult to obtain. (See Box 3.1 for information on the use of food diaries in the nutrition assessment of patients with eating disorders.) The following sections identify some of the key aspects of intake to assess and note their relationship to eating disorders. These findings may then lead to nutrition diag-
