ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL DIETARY INTAKE

An individual's health and well‐being are directly related to his or her food intake. A lack of food or essential nutrients results in deficiency diseases and ultimately death. An excess of food or certain nutrients may have the same result. The quantity and quality of an individual's diet is assessed for both clinical and research purposes to identify any possible nutrient imbalance and to find associations between disease prevalence and food intake within populations. Data obtained from food intake studies can also be used to provide information on sections of a population at risk from deficiencies and excesses and therefore to plan health care programmes or to evaluate the effect of a government policy, for example, on reorganisation of school meals. Globally, data on food intake or at least food availability in different nations can be used in planning relief operations.