A decrease in intake compared to the patient's normal intake may indicate nutritional risk. However, like other data, validity and reliability may be an issue, Although the nurse may only be required to fill in a blank space next to the word "appetite, simply ask ing the client "How is your appetite?" will probably not provide sufficient information. A better question may be "Has the type or amount of food you cat recently changed? If so, please explain." Consuming only liquids and severely limiting the type or amount of food are risks Another question to avoid while obtaining a nursing history is "Are you on adiet?" To many people, dict is synonymous with weight loss dict; they may fail to mention they use nutrition therapy to avoid sodium, modify fat, or count carbohydrates. A better question would be, "Do you avoid any particular foods? or "Do you watch what you eat in any way?" Even the term "meal" may elicit a stereotypical mental picture, Questions to consider when asking a client about his or her usual intake appear in Box 1.4.