BIOSOFT HELP FILES

OBESITY AND FAMILY PHYSICIAN OFFICIAL STATUS - AFP
1) Consider waist circumference and BMI as vital sIgns in family medicine
2) Family physician should implement a systematic and practical approach to manage overweight and obese patients
3) Family physician Should undertake 5 A's approach to improve nutritional and exercise habits
4) Family physician should act as a role model for healthy lifestyle
5) Influence the community commitment for above ideals

WEIGHT FRIENDLY FAMILY PRACTICE
1) Discuss weight issues even when obesity nor overweight is evident
2) Check weight, BMI and WC in every visit
3) Discuss the eating habits and activity habits in every visit
4) If weight problems identified institute 5 A's behavioral counselling
5) If problems of weight seen apply the transtheoretical approach for behavior change (PCT)
6) 5 A's include Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange

CHRONIC DISEASES RELEVANT TO MEDICAL NUTRITION
1) Obesity, overweight
2) Diabetes
3) Ischemic heart disease
4) Hypertension
5) Hyperlipidemia
6) Cancer
7) Osteoporosis
8) Dental hygiene

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRONIC DISEASES
1) Chronic diseases are a heavy burden to the society
2) Chronic diseases are no more confined only to the adults and elderly,
even younger persons are too affected now
3) Chronic diseases are no more confined to the developed countries, but also
seen in developing countries
4) Developing countries have a double burden of nutritional of morbidity - overnutrition
and undernutrition
5) The rate of increase in chronic diseases in the developing world is higher
6) Most of the chronic diseases are preventable and modifiable
7) The best, most effective, most economically feasible solution to the pandemic of
chronic diseases is the primary prevention
8) Changes in meal patterns world over - increasing consumption of animal based
products, increasing consumption of oils/fats, increasing consumption of calories,
increasing consumption of sugars and simple carbohydrates in preference to complex
carbohydrates, decreasing consumption of fibers, decreasing consumption of fruits and
vegetables

SOME IMPORTANT NUTRITIONAL TARGETS IN THE COURSE OF LIFE-CYCLE
1) Newborns - achieve the optimal weight and height
2) Infants - achieve optimal nutrition to prevent heart attacks hypertension,
strokes, diabetes and obesity in later life.
3) Youth - achieve optimal nutrition to prevent middle aged cancers, heart attacks,
hypertension, hyperlipidemias, strokes and diabetes
4) Adults - achieve optimal nutrition to prevent many chronic diseases
5) Elderly - achieve optimal nutrition to give maximum impact for nutritional interventions for chronic diseases

REASONS FOR ABOVE NUTRITIONAL TARGETS
1) Every attempt should be made to achieve the optimal weight and height for the new born
2) Suboptimal infant nutrition can cause heart attacks, blood pressure, strokes, diabetes and obesity
3) Suboptimal youth nutrition is the best, most effective and most economical solution to the middle aged cancers, heart attacks, hypertension, hyperlipidemias, strokes, diabetes.
4) The 6 commonest risk factors for chronic diseases in adults are smoking, alcohol, obesity, inactivity, hyperlipidemias and hypertension. Out of this 3 are directly linked to nutrition. Thus adult nutrition is playing a significant role in the management of chronic diseases.
5) In the elderly the chronic diseases make their maximum impact. While elder nutrition took back stage a decade back, now it is known that the maximum benefit of nutritional interventions are seen only in this age.