NOTES ON NUTRITION AND DIET THERAPY [2]

Prepared by: Jaymee B. Quindara

Clinical Signs of Nutritional Status

Features Good Bad

1. General appearance Alert, responsive Listless, apathetic,
cachexia
2. Hair Shiny, lustrous, healthy Dull, brittle, dry,
scalp depigmented
3. Neck glands No enlargement Thyroid enlarged
4. Skin, face, neck Smooth, slightly moist, Greasy, discoloured scaly
good color, reddish pink
mucus membrane
5. Eyes Bright, clear, no fatigue Dryness, increased
circles vascularity, glassiness,
thickened conjunctiva
6. Lips Good color, moist Dry, scaly, swollen,
angular lesions (stomatitis)
7. Gums Good pink color, no Marginal redness or
swelling or bleeding, firm swelling, receding, spongy
8. Tongue Good pink color, surface Papillary atrophy, smooth
papillae present, no lesion appearance, swollen, red,
beefy (glossitis)
9. Teeth Straight, no crowding, well Unfilled cavities, absent
shaped jaw, clean, no teeth, worn surface,
discoloration mottled, malpositioned
10.Skin, general Smooth, slightly moist, Rough, dry, scaly, pale,
good color pigmented, irritated,
petechiae, bruises
11.Abdomen Flat Swollen
12.Legs, feet No tenderness, weakness, Edema, tender calf,
swelling, good color tingling, weakness
13.Skeleton No malformations Bowlegs, knock-knees,
chest deformity at
diaphragm, beaded ribs,
prominent scapulae
14.Weight Normal for height, age,
body build
15.Posture Erect, arms and legs Sagging shoulders, sunken
straight, abd in, chest out chest, humped back
16.Muscles Well-developed, firm Flaccid, poor tone,
undeveloped, tender
17.Nervous control Good attention span Inattentive, irritable

Primary Causes of Nutritional Deficiency

1. Dietary lack of specific essential nutrients

a. Lack of proper food
b. Anorexia (due to a variety of causes)
c. Alcoholism
d. Poor food habits or eating nutritionally deficient foods
e. Inadequate or faulty therapeutic diets
2. Inability of the body to use specific nutrient properly due to:
a. Disease of the digestive tract such as ulcerative colitis
b. Faulty absorption in intestinal tract (such as the way in which the excessive
use of mineral or impedes the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins)
c. Metabolic disorder such as diabetic