Medical Nutrition Therapy

Medical Nutrition Therapy is the development of a specific dietary plan of action. It is used for the treatment of an illness, injury or disease condition. Nutrition and diet are an important part of health management for people with diabetes or renal diseases.

The nutrition plan is based on an evaluation of a person’s medical history, psychosocial history, physical examination, and dietary history.

• Medical History – A medical history includes a summary of diseases and conditions. It also includes a review of medications. This is included because medications may interfere with nutrient absorption. Vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplementation can also affect nutritional balance.
• Psychosocial History – A psychosocial history includes a review of a person’s economic status, ethnic and cultural background, living situation, education level, occupation, mental status, and access to adequate food sources. Each of these items is important in order to determine a person’s ability to follow through on specific therapy plans.
• Physical Examination – A physical examination includes an assessment of sex, age, height, weight, body mass index, and arm or wrist circumference. It may also include the physical appearance of the hair, skin, and nails. All of this information together can determine nutritional problems.
• Dietary History  – A dietary history is just a listing of a person’s usual food intake. Any of the following methods can be used to determine this information: a food frequency questionnaire, a twenty-four-hour recall of food eaten, or a three-day to five-day food diary. This information is an important starting point for any nutritional plan.