Computer-assisted production of dietary advice: a useful tool for the future?

Adequate nutrition is vital for the health and well-being of all patients. Of all aspects of treatment the dietary guidelines are often the most difficult for the patient to accept (1,2). Compliance may be poor, particularly if the dietary prescription differs markedly from the patient's diet of choice (3-6). Reports of non-compliance range from 20-78%, depending on the criteria used. Equally as worrying are the patients whose nutritional intake is compromised by over-compliance (7).