ABSTRACT
Good nutrition is essential for the well-being and health of the patient with gastrointestinal (GI) disease. Nutrition deals with the very crux of existence. Historically, malnutrition has been associated with poverty, poor sanitation, and lack of resources often occurring in underdeveloped countries. However, with the abundance of food, lack of exercise, and overall higher standard of living, obesity and chronic disease linked to diet has become epidemic and is also considered to be a form of malnutrition. Nutritional health results from an intricate balance between nutrient intake and requirements. When requirements exceed intake, malnutrition ensues and encompasses a wide spectrum of physiological alterations including undernutrition and specic micronutrient deciencies. When intake exceeds requirements, malnutrition in the form of obesity and its co-morbidities result. Malnutrition leads to a sequence of metabolic and pathological events with physiological alterations, reduced organ and tissue function, loss of body mass, and eventually death (Figure 2.1). In the setting
2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Nutritional Assessment Methods .................................................................... 19
2.2.1 Patient History .................................................................................... 19 2.2.1.1 Medical History ................................................................... 19 2.2.1.2 Medications .......................................................................... 21 2.2.1.3 Nutrition ...............................................................................22 2.2.1.4 Psychosocial .........................................................................22
