Another question to avoid while obtaining a nursing history is “Are you on a diet?” To
many people, diet is synonymous with weight loss diet; 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