When nutritional risk or other red flags appear during the nutrition assessment process that are not easily explained, a nutrition-focused or nutrition-related physical exam may be of benefit. The examiner is looking for nutrition-related problem or risk areas that can be treated with nutrition intervention. Nutrition intervention focus must be able to treat the etiology or cause of the nutrition problem or reduce the risk of a nutrition-related problem.

On another note, the “trained eye” may spot “red flags” or actual nutritent-based lesions upon first meeting a person that may influence the professional’s decision to pursue a nutrition-focused physical exam. For instance, pale nails, angular stomatitis or ecchymoses would be quite visible to the practitioner trained in their identification.

Additionally, the Nutrition Exam physical exam allows the practitioner the opportunity to “visit” with the client and get subjective information that may prove to be invaluable in solving the yet unsolved mystery of a nutrient deficiency (that is perhaps yet to be even recognized).

As an RD/health care practitioner you can only be adept at skills you have learned and use. Competency in completing a nutrition-focused physical exam is no different. This web site along with the other resources it offers will aid you in gaining competency.
Would you expect to get a good grade if you addressed only 4 of 5 parts of a test? I wouldn’t so that is why this web site is being developed. The goal is to teach RDs to fully consider each component of the Nutrition Assessment before trying to put the pieces of the client puzzle together. This will yield accuracy in Nutrition Diagnosis(ses) and allow for the development of better Intervention strategies and the Monitoring and Evaluation of more potentially positive progress on the part of the client.

Hopefully this introductory information has helped you to “picture” the “What, When, and Why” of a nutrition-focused physical exam in the Nutrition Assessment phase of your contact with the client. This will allow you to more clearly write down the Problem(s), identify the Etiology of the Problem(s) and describe the Signs and Symptoms of the Problem(s). Accuracy in writing a PES statement will be advantageous to you, the professional, but even more so to your clients, the recipients of your skills.
So, if you were wondering “Why” you should learn nutrition-focused physical assessment skills or do a nutrition-focused exam, I hope your questions have been answered. I challenge you now to JUST DO IT! Go ahead and get started, hone your skills “for the health of it”, the health of your profession and of your clients. That’s WHY.

If you are already proficient at performing a Nutrition Exam physical exam and are using your skills, perhaps you would be interested in becoming a Contributing Author of this web site to help others learn. WHY? To help build the knowledge bank for the profession in the areas of nutrition-focused examination and accuracy of nutrient-based lesion identification and to let others know of your skills. Do contact us with your interest.