GLOSSARY

Nutrition Support uses appropriate oral, enteral or parenteral methods to meet nutrition needs when ordinary intake is insufficient.

Oral nutrition support can include food fortification, snacks, adjusted meal patterns and oral nutritional supplements when swallowing is safe. A clinical oral supplement differs in purpose and composition from many ordinary sports products. Check whether it adds needed intake or unintentionally replaces meals without meeting requirements. Review taste, tolerance, cost and actual consumption. If intake remains insufficient or swallowing is unsafe, the care team may need to assess a different route rather than simply recommending more oral drinks.

An adequate diet provides sufficient energy and essential nutrients while fitting health needs. A high score for variety or a healthy food label cannot independently demonstrate adequacy. Review what is actually eaten, including foods excluded and suitable replacements. Athletes can consume many vegetables yet still lack enough energy or carbohydrate for training. Assess the overall pattern, distribution and relevant nutrient risks rather than assuming that a single food or supplement makes the entire diet balanced.

Malnutrition can occur across body sizes, including in a person with obesity. Assessment considers reduced intake or assimilation, disease-related inflammation, weight trajectory and relevant body-composition or functional findings. Undernutrition, overnutrition and individual micronutrient deficiencies describe overlapping but distinct problems. A stable or high body weight cannot exclude inadequate nutrient supply or muscle loss. In an athlete, declining intake, recurrent illness or unintentional weight loss deserves assessment rather than automatic praise for becoming lighter.