Essentials of Human Nutrition

2nd ed, edited by Jim Mann and A Stewart Truswell, 2002, 662 pages, softcover, $54.50. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom.

1386 Cuernavaca Circulo, Mountain View, CA 94040, E-mail: ann.coulston{at}attglobal.net

Mann and Truswell have edited an internationally authored nutrition text designed as a student’s introduction to nutrition and as a reference on basic nutrition and nutrition principles for physicians and other health professionals. Although the book contains many references to 2001 publications, some sections are noticeably outdated because of more recently published information. Specifically, the most recently updated information on growth rates and on height and body weight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not included in this book.

The book is divided into 8 parts. Part 1 contains basic information on macronutrients, including a chapter on alcohol. Part 2 covers organic and inorganic essential nutrients and finishes with a well-developed chapter on other biologically active substances in plant foods. Part 3 discusses nutrition-related disorders in its 100 pages, and it provides a brief introduction to obesity, protein-energy malnutrition, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and eating disorders. At the end of each of the chapters, 5–15 references for further reading are provided. A textbook style of writing, in which statements are not referenced, is used. Many of the chapters have wonderful diagrams that illustrate the main points therein.

Food toxicity and safety issues are covered in part 4. The components of nutritional assessment are covered in part 5, which contains especially good illustrations of landmarks for anthropometric measures. Part 6 contains chapters relating to life stages; it begins with a discussion of pregnancy and lactation and continues through the aging process. Sports nutrition is also covered in part 6. Some clinical and public health issues are covered in part 7, as are some aspects of nutrition counseling. Finally, the 3 chapters in part 8 include case studies in 3 topic areas: nutrition and poverty, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and functional foods.

This book is easy to read, uses the nutrition and health standards established by the World Health Organization, and is well indexed. It provides some useful, albeit basic, background information for health professionals.