Nutritional Disorders

Mineral Deficiency and Toxicity

Six macrominerals are required by people in gram amounts.

Nutrition: General Considerations

Nutrition is the science of food and its relationship to health. Nutrients are chemicals in foods that are used by the body for growth, maintenance, and energy.

Nutritional Support

Many undernourished patients need nutritional support, which aims to increase lean body mass. Oral feeding can be difficult for some patients with anorexia or with eating or absorption problems. Nutritional support is often needed for critically ill patients ( 1 ).

Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity is excess body weight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 30 kg/m 2 . Complications include cardiovascular disorders (particularly in people with excess abdominal fat), diabetes mellitus, certain cancers, cholelithiasis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, reproductive disorders in men and women, psychologic disorders, and, for people with BMI ≥ 35, premature death. Diagnosis is based on body mass index. Treatment includes lifestyle modification (eg, in diet, physical activity, and behavior) and, for certain patients, drugs or bariatric (weight-loss) surgery.

Undernutrition

Undernutrition is a form of malnutrition. (Malnutrition also includes overnutrition—see Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome ). Undernutrition can result from inadequate ingestion of nutrients, malabsorption, impaired metabolism, loss of nutrients due to diarrhea, or increased nutritional requirements (as occurs in cancer or infection). Undernutrition progresses in stages; it may develop slowly when it is due to anorexia or very rapidly, as sometimes occurs when it is due to rapidly progressive cancer-related cachexia. First, nutrient levels in blood and tissues change, followed by intracellular changes in biochemical functions and structure. Ultimately, symptoms and signs appear. Diagnosis is by history, physical examination, body composition analysis , and sometimes laboratory tests (eg, albumin).

Vitamin Deficiency, Dependency, and Toxicity

Vitamins may be

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