We live in a country of excess and consumption. Huge SUVs, super-sized burgers and super-sized people. One might assume our only nutritional concern is indulgence, but not so.

Beyond diet related conditions such as obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis, many people in the United States suffer from single or multiple nutritional deficiencies. Some, surprising as it might sound, suffer with what might be termed general undernutrition.

And, as we are often reminded, the state of nutrition in the developing world is fast reaching apocalyptic proportions.

But all problems of nutrition, whether excessive intake, deficiency, or increased need, have some underlying cause. It's cause, mechanism and evaluation of nutritional problems that this unit will focus on. 

Let's start by trying to define adequate nutrition. It's not as easy as you might think.

• It varies with age, growth rate, state of health and whether one is pregnant or not.
• It should provide adequate energy in the form of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
• It must contain essential and nonessential amino acids and fatty acids.
• It must contain adequate amounts and varieties of vitamins and minerals.

Unfortunately, nutritional status is not always on the mind of the practitioner or caregiver. When we think of nutrition, a number of things should be considered.