F1 · Not eating enough to meet body needs
Actual Food and fluids
Definition
Food intake is too low to supply the energy and nutrients needed for health and healing.- Illness
- poor appetite
- mouth pain
- poverty
- nausea
- depression
- Weight loss
- eating less than half of meals
- weakness
- hair or skin changes
📋 Scenario
A patient with cancer eats only a few bites and has lost 5 kg in a month.
Subjective (S): "I just don't feel like eating."
Objective (O): Eats only 2-3 bites per meal; weight down 5 kg in one month; BMI 17.8; dry skin.
Assessment tools for this scenario: CP-FLUID Fluid Balance & Nutrition Score CP-SKIN Skin & Wound Score
Validated scales to consider: MUST, fluid chart, glucose, Braden Scale, TIME wound chart
**CarePath diagnosis:** Not eating enough to meet body needs related to illness, as evidenced by weight loss and eating less than half of meals.
**Interventions and rationale**
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Weigh weekly. | Weekly weight shows the trend and tells whether the nutrition plan is working. |
| Offer small frequent meals. | Small frequent meals are less overwhelming than large ones and easier to finish when appetite is poor. |
| Involve a dietitian. | A dietitian calculates his needs and plans energy-dense foods that suit his illness. |
| Treat nausea and mouth pain. | Nausea and mouth pain are common reasons for not eating, so treating them removes barriers to eating. |
| Give supplements if ordered. | Supplements add calories and protein when food alone is not enough. |
| Record intake. | Recording intake shows how much is really eaten, so the team can see progress and adjust the plan. |
**Expected outcomes**
- Within 1 week: eats at least 75% of meals.
- By discharge: weight stable or rising.
- Patient chooses high-energy foods and accepts supplements.
**Linking the data to the diagnosis**
The patient has cancer and eats only 2-3 bites per meal. Weight is down 5 kg in one month, BMI is 17.8 and the skin is dry. He says he just does not feel like eating. This is an actual problem because the shortfall in intake and the weight loss are already happening. Poor appetite describes the lack of desire to eat, while this statement covers the result, intake too low for body needs, so it fits better. The plan aims for eating at least 75% of meals within 1 week, stable or rising weight by discharge, and the patient choosing high-energy foods and accepting supplements.
CarePath diagnosis
Not eating enough to meet body needs related to illness, as evidenced by weight loss and eating less than half of meals.
Interventions and rationale
Listed in priority order.
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| 1. Weigh weekly. | Weekly weight shows the trend and tells whether the nutrition plan is working. |
| 2. Offer small frequent meals. | Small frequent meals are less overwhelming than large ones and easier to finish when appetite is poor. |
| 3. Involve a dietitian. | A dietitian calculates his needs and plans energy-dense foods that suit his illness. |
| 4. Treat nausea and mouth pain. | Nausea and mouth pain are common reasons for not eating, so treating them removes barriers to eating. |
| 5. Give supplements if ordered. | Supplements add calories and protein when food alone is not enough. |
| 6. Record intake. | Recording intake shows how much is really eaten, so the team can see progress and adjust the plan. |
Expected outcomes
- Within 1 week: eats at least 75% of meals.
- By discharge: weight stable or rising.
- Patient chooses high-energy foods and accepts supplements.
Linking the data to the diagnosis
The patient has cancer and eats only 2-3 bites per meal. Weight is down 5 kg in one month, BMI is 17.8 and the skin is dry. He says he just does not feel like eating. This is an actual problem because the shortfall in intake and the weight loss are already happening. Poor appetite describes the lack of desire to eat, while this statement covers the result, intake too low for body needs, so it fits better. The plan aims for eating at least 75% of meals within 1 week, stable or rising weight by discharge, and the patient choosing high-energy foods and accepting supplements.