Nutrition in primary care

As a result of recent changes in health care, nurses, GPs and health visitors find they are required to take a major role in nutrition education and dietary advice.

Health promotion is now an important aspect of general practice and community care.

Shorter periods of hospitalization, increased care of the chronically ill "in the community", and the management of disorders, such as diabetes within general practice, have meant that many more people now require specialized nutritional care.

At the same time, rapid advances in nutrition have left some health professionals feeling that their dietary knowledge is inadequate.This work updates the reader on the relationships between diet and health, and the use of diet in the management of disease.

Topical, but less familiar nutrients, such as antioxidant vitamins or long-chain fatty acids, are explained in ways which are easy to understand.

Guidance is given on the types on nutritional problems which can be successfully identified and managed in the primary care setting and those which may require specialized dietetic help.