Nutrition is a complex, highly technical topic that touches
people's daily lives. It is part of your job to make good nutrition
understandable and achievable for patients. You
will play a major role in educating patients about special
diets and in helping them implement dietary changes as
instructed by physicians and dietitians. Your knowledge of
basic nutritional principles and current nutritional findings
will help you perform these tasks with confidence and
competence. You will need a basic understanding of metabolism
and the role of calories in the diet. You must also be familiar
with the body's daily requirements for protein, carbohydrates,
fiber, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water and
which foods can fulfill these requirements. The more you
learn about foods and their nutritional value, the better
able you will be to educate patients about meeting their
particular nutritional needs. Whenever you work with patients, be alert for body
weights significantly above or below the ideal. It is also important
to recognize indications of eating patterns that
may lead to health problems such as obesity, anorexia nervosa,
and bulimia. Your knowledge about nutrition will help you teach
patients a major means of supporting and improving their
overall health. In some cases your work in this area will
help patients avoid or recover from life-threatening medical
conditions. |