The “Good Diet” - Diet and Nutrition

The “Good Diet”

Following publication of the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health , several U.S. agencies–the American Council on Science and Health, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services–issued their own dietary guidelines, as summarized below.

Professionally Administered Nutritional Assessments.     There are several ways people can monitor their nutritonal intake to ensure that their diets meet national guidelines. Physicians, nutritionists, and dietitians use several techniques, including physical examinations, to assess a person's nutritional status. Compiling a medical and diet history helps detect nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, usual eating habits and food preferences, and intake of medications, nutritional supplements, and alcohol. Biochemical or clinical laboratory tests (including blood and urine samples) can also directly measure nutrients and detect deficiencies, while other laboratory tests, such as the Schilling test of vitamin B ₁₂ , detect how well a person absorbs certain essential nutrients. Immune function tests measure the type and amount of white blood cells present, which provides an indicator of both the body's nutritional status and resistance to disease.

Self-Administered Nutritional Assessments.     In addition to consulting with a physician, people can also conduct a self-administered nutritional assessment to monitor their current diet and their daily food and nutrient intake intelligently. One of the most effective is a food diary, which helps determine factors associated with food consumption such as time of day, place eaten, level of hunger, and mood. Among other advantages, this alternative (along with a food frequency checklist) encourages the diary keeper to assume an active role in achieving dietary goals, and helps people be more conscious of the lifestyle and home factors that affect their food choices and consumption patterns.