Patient Weighed Diet Assignment Sample

Introduction

Dietary assessment and nutrient intake analysis have emerged in the past few years as part of the basic requirements to assess health and nutritional status. This particular assessment primarily involves an evaluation of a particular subject's diet against the recommended Dietary Reference Values to determine energy adequacy and balance. This will help us to answer the question of whether the subject's macronutrient and energy intake is sufficient, adequate, or insufficient. These evaluations are likely to be useful in establishing possible hazards linked with low nutrient intake or its over-intake, provided the effects on human health if taken for the long term.

This report will also compare the observed dietary pattern to the recommended average UK dietary nutrient profile and deduce if the subject's current nutrient intake is adequate to sustain their activity level and metabolic rate.

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In nutritional science, the term DRVs stands for Dietary Reference Values — guidelines that establish the consumption of nutrients necessary for health. The relevant indicators include:

• EAR (Estimated Average Requirement: average daily nutrient level sufficient for 50% of the population.
• RNI (Reference Nutrient Intake: amount of nutrient required to meet the needs of 97.5% of subjects on a daily basis.
• LRNI (Lower Reference Nutrient Intake:  intake level adequate for only 2.5% of the population; intake below this is considered inadequate.
• Safe Intake: set where data is insufficient to define exact requirements; serves to avoid deficiency in the majority of the population.

Aim

The primary objective of this study is to assess the subject's nutrient and energy intake for one day as compared to recommended dietary intakes, and to determine a relationship between the diet and basal metabolic rate and physical activity level — which would aid the identification of areas of inadequate nutrient consumption (Thomas, 2023).

Method

To evaluate the subject's energetic intake, data was obtained for one day, and questionnaires highlighted intake of food products as well as drinks. The intake data was inputted into Nutritics software, which enabled the display of macronutrient and micronutrient proportions of each day's intake (Livingstone et al., 2022). The software also evaluated the intake levels against DRVs to give dietary adequacy.

To calculate energy expenditure, BMR was estimated using the formula: Weight × 25 kcal/kg. After multiplying PAL and REE, the Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) was evaluated. This value is useful as it helps to determine whether the amount of energy intake meets the body's demand (Ye et al., 2021).

Results

Table 1. Anthropometric Data and BMR Calculation | Source: self-created

Table 2. Energy Cost and PAL | Source: self-created

Table 3. Comparison of DRV Guidelines | Source: SACN Annual Report 2017

Table 4. Macronutrient Energy Intake | Source: self-created

Discussion

The findings of this dietary analysis present interesting points for understanding the nutritional intake level of the subject in relation to the proposed guidelines (Monteyne et al., 2023). The subject consumed caloric intakes close to or more than their TEE, which can be considered as a balanced or even a surplus relative to their energy expenditure. A consistent caloric surplus without a parallel rise in physical activity can lead to weight gain over time.

Evaluation of macronutrient ratios in relation to DRVs can be done to determine how close the intake is to the recommended proportions. If fat ingestion is above the recommended advice, it increases the probability of diseases related to high-fat intake including cardiovascular illnesses. A large carbohydrate intake raises questions about the quality of carbohydrate sources. High free sugar intake may indicate reliance on highly processed foods (O'Kane et al., 2020).

Micronutrient intakes including selenium, zinc, and magnesium were also evaluated to confirm whether the necessary dietary requirements for minerals were met. The subject, being female, has a relatively balanced nutrient intake overall; however, there are some areas of concern. The daily protein level is above the RNI, which is beneficial for muscle maintenance if she leads an active lifestyle. Lean protein from poultry, fish, and legumes can be prioritised (Tsilidis et al., 2021). Carbohydrate intake is high; reducing added sugar intake would help minimise the risk of weight gain and impaired insulin sensitivity. Selenium intake at 28.9 µg/day is significantly below the RNI of 75 µg/day, which could compromise immunity and metabolic health.

Conclusion

This dietary assessment shows that the subject is consuming adequate amounts of food to meet energy requirements, with minor adjustments necessary. Macronutrient distribution broadly meets general guidelines, though free sugar intake is a key area requiring improvement for better health outcomes. The significant deficiency in selenium, and lower fibre intake, are the most important areas for dietary improvement. Periodic review of dietary patterns against DRVs remains a valuable tool in encouraging long-term healthy eating behaviours.

Reference List

• Thomas, M. Income and food insecurity: Impact on diet quality and micronutrient intakes of females living in the United Kingdom (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nottingham). eprints.nottingham.ac.uk
• Livingstone, M.B.E. et al. (2022). Food intake following gastric bypass surgery: patients eat less but do not eat differently. The Journal of Nutrition, 152(11), pp.2319–2332. sciencedirect.com
• Monteyne, A.J. et al. (2023). Vegan and omnivorous high protein diets support comparable daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates. The Journal of Nutrition, 153(6), pp.1680–1695. sciencedirect.com
• Cucuzzella, M., Riley, K. and Isaacs, D. (2021). Adapting medication for type 2 diabetes to a low carbohydrate diet. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, p.688540. frontiersin.org
• Mollan, S.P. et al. (2021). Effectiveness of bariatric surgery vs community weight management intervention. JAMA Neurology, 78(6), pp.678–686. jamanetwork.com
• O'Kane, M. et al. (2020). British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society Guidelines on perioperative and postoperative biochemical monitoring. Obesity Reviews, 21(11), p.e13087. onlinelibrary.wiley.com
• SACN Annual Report 2017. publishing.service.gov.uk