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This book address several topics of current interest in nutrition in 13 chapters written by different authors. According to the editor, the objective of the book is to help clinicians integrate nutrition into overall clinical management. The first chapter consists of a readable and focused discussion of childhood obesity that allows a busy clinician to grasp the essentials of diagnosing and treating this condition. A list of websites for reference is a special feature of this chapter.
The second chapter is about adult obesity and is a concise but useful chapter that discusses different dietary approaches. However, it lacks significant information about the role of exercise in treating obesity and its effect on insulin resistance. For example, the duration, intensity, and relative merits of strength training compared with those of aerobic exercise are not discussed.
The third chapter is a summary of the role of surgery in treating obesity and the various options available. The fourth chapter addresses the role of nutrition in the elderly. It points out the dietary modifications required to meet the needs of the elderly. It covers the various nutritional problems of the elderly, ranging from obesity to wasting, and discusses the role of micronutrient supplements. Sarcopenia, a major nutritional problem, is discussed in the final section of this chapter. However, the role of exercise and a discussion of controlled trials in treating this condition are not included.
The fifth and sixth chapters, on allergy and pregnancy and lactation, respectively, are comprehensive and written in a way that provides much useful information in a concise form. The seventh chapter is unique to this book; it addresses the question of the behavioral changes necessary to make a person comply with a nutritional regimen that is different from usual eating habits. The information in this chapter is very important reading for clinicians who aim to help their patients alter their dietary habits.
The eighth chapter is about genetic diseases, and the ninth chapter covers immunity and nutrition. Both of these chapters are short and relatively superficial in their coverage of otherwise complex topics. The tenth chapter provides a good summary of nutrition and dental care and includes practical evidence-based information about the prevention of dental caries.
Chapter 11 is a major treatise about diet and the skin. It is an excellent and comprehensive chapter about a topic that is not covered by other nutritional texts. Chapter 12 is a concise summary of the nutritional causes of and the practical ways of avoiding cachexia in 3 cancers in which malnutrition rapidly develops, namely esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers. Details of nonvolitional nutrition, such as enteral or gastrostomy feeding, is not discussed. The final chapter addresses the important question of cachexia in chronic diseases; however, it is rather short and does not provide practical information about the management of this condition.
This book attempts to cover topical and important clinical issues in the management of patients with chronic conditions and diseases. It contains several excellent chapters and, in general, provides much practical information for general clinicians. The book would have been strengthened by including details of the use and misuse of nonvolitional nutrition in conditions such as cancer and cachexia. The lack of a discussion about the role of nutrition and exercise in treating obesity and sarcopenia is also a weakness. Despite these weaknesses, the book provides a good overview of the application of nutrition by clinicians for treating chronic diseases and has the advantage of being short, focused, and easy to read.