TECHNIQUES & PROCEDURES Obesity: Nutrition Support Practice and Application to Critical Care*

*The survey results were presented as a nutrition practice poster at the 1995 A.S.P.E.N. meeting in Miami Beach, Florida. ABSTRACT: Much controversy exists regarding the nu-tritional care of obese, hospitalized patients. There is no real agreement among health care professionals in the nutritional support of obese patients. A survey was de-signed to determine the methods used to provide for the nutritional needs of obese, hospitalized patients. The survey included questions on definition of obesity, equa-tions used to calculate energy and protein needs, and body weight used for calculations. The information re-ceived from this survey describes the variability of nutri-tional care for obese, hospitalized patients. In addition, a review of the current literature is provided regarding the metabolic response of the obese