Diet & Nutrition – Diet Therapy and Nutritional Requirements

Question-and-answer flashcards covering diet therapy definitions, principles, macronutrients, anthropometric calculations, caloric requirement formulas, pediatric classifications, clinical nutrition disorders, and therapeutic diets.

What is the primary goal of diet therapy?

To modify the food and drink of a diseased individual to remove or alleviate the results of the disease process.

Name two objectives of diet therapy.

(1) Maintain good nutrition or correct deficiencies, (2) help prevent or manage medical conditions and their symptoms.

Which diet-therapy principle emphasizes keeping the diet as close to normal as possible?

Simplification.

List the three principles of dietary management.

Liberalization, Individualization, and Simplification.

What four factors should be considered before planning a diet-therapy regimen?

Underlying disease condition, possible duration of therapy, dietary factors that must be altered, and patient’s tolerance for food by mouth.

Give three common ways to modify a diet.

Change food consistency, adjust energy value, and include or omit specific foods.

Define carbohydrates in one sentence.

Organic compounds (C, H, O) that act as the chief energy source, protein sparer, and regulator of fat metabolism and GI peristalsis.

What percentage of total caloric allowance (TCA) should come from carbohydrates according to the RDA?

55–70 % of TCA.

State the energy yield per gram of carbohydrate.

4 kcal/g.

Give two key functions of protein.

Essential for growth and tissue repair; regulates body processes.

How much energy does 1 g of protein provide?

4 kcal.

List two functions of lipids.

Concentrated energy source & essential fatty acids; provide insulation and body padding.

Recommended lipid intake (RDA) as a percentage of TCA is _.

20–30 %.

Energy yield per gram of lipid is _.

9 kcal.

Provide the metric BMI formula.

BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)².

At what BMI is an adult considered overweight?

25.0–29.9.

State the modified Tannhauser formula for desirable body weight (DBW).

DBW (kg) = [Height (cm) – 100] – 10 % of [Height (cm) – 100].

What is the NDAP DBW formula for females?

DBW (lbs) = 106 lbs ± 4 lbs for every inch above (or below) 5 ft.

Define Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

Minimum energy needed to maintain vital body processes at rest under basal conditions.

Give the simple formula for estimating BMR.

BMR = 1 kcal × DBW (kg) × 24 h.

What percentage multiplier is used for a sedentary adult when calculating physical activity (PA)?

30 % of BMR.

How is the thermogenic effect of food (SDA) calculated for adults?

SDA = (BMR + PA) × 0.06.

Write the factorial method equation for Total Caloric Allowance (TCA).

TCA = BMR + PA + SDA.

What is the NDAP shortcut method for TCA?

TCA = DBW (kg) × 40 kcal.

How many kilocalories should be subtracted from TCA to lose 1–2 lbs per week?

Subtract 500 kcal/day.

Waterlow classification assesses wasting using which ratio?

Actual Weight ÷ Ideal Weight for Height × 100.

In Waterlow wasting, a value of 78 % indicates which severity?

Moderate wasting (70–80 %).

Gomez Classification of 65 % falls into which degree of malnutrition?

Second degree malnutrition (61–75 %).

Differentiate kwashiorkor from marasmus by one key clinical feature.

Kwashiorkor shows oedema and a fatty liver, whereas marasmus shows severe muscle wasting without oedema.

Which diet provides foods that leave no GI residue and is used post-operatively?

Clear Liquid Diet.

Purpose of a Cold Liquid Diet after oral surgery is _.

To minimize pain, swelling, and bleeding in operated areas.

When is a Full (General) Liquid Diet indicated?

For patients unable to chew or swallow solid foods or as a transition from clear liquids to soft diets.

Describe the main feature of a Soft (Light) Diet.

Soft consistency, easy to chew, low harsh fiber, nutritionally adequate.

Mechanical Soft Diet is especially useful for which patient group?

Patients with poor dentures, recent oral surgery, or the elderly.

A Bland Diet must avoid which three types of irritation?

Chemical, mechanical, and thermal irritation.

High-fiber diets are prescribed primarily to manage _.

Constipation and promote GI motility.

Why is a fiber-restricted diet ordered for intestinal stenosis?

To prevent obstructing bolus formation in narrowed GI lumens.

Kilocalorie-restricted diets are primarily used for _.

Weight reduction in obese patients.

Give one clinical use of a High-Calorie Diet.

To promote weight gain in underweight patients or meet increased needs during hyperthyroidism or fever.

Which diet eliminates milk and dairy to manage galactosemia?

Lactose-Free Diet.

State two indications for a High-Protein Diet.

Protein–calorie malnutrition and hypermetabolic states such as severe burns.

Primary purpose of a protein-restricted (Giordano-Giovanetti) diet.

To reduce urea and lighten renal workload in kidney failure.

Phenylalanine-restricted diet is the main therapy for _.

Phenylketonuria (PKU).

What does the BRAT diet stand for, and when is it used?

Banana, Rice, Apple, Tea; for managing diarrhea.

Define a hypoallergenic diet.

A diet that eliminates specific foods known to trigger allergic reactions.

Formula for classifying nutritional status using DBW percentage.

%DBW = (Actual weight ÷ Desirable Body Weight) × 100.