GEP Medicine in Society Handbook 2019/20

3.10. Nutrition and gastrointestinal disorders

Aims

To increase students awareness of the relationship between food, health and ill health and to introduce students to how patients present with GI disorders.

Preparation

In preparation students should have:

• Read the recommended reading including looking at the NHS Choices website pages on food, diet and weight management.  
• The Mental Health Foundation has produced some guidance on diet and mood.  
• For a patient perspective on living with an inflammatory bowel condition please click here.  Alternatively take a look at Michael Serres' TED talk on his bowel transplant and on his views about how health care practitioners should communicate with and involve their patients in the decision making processes.
• If you have a bit more time you might want to take a look at Dr David Kessler's 

•  (it is a bit of a slow start) or perhaps you might want to take a look at his book - The End of Overeating.
• Considered the sensitivities of investigating patients' attitudes to diet and exercise.

Learning objectives

By the end of the day, students should be able to:

• Describe the components of a 'healthy diet'
• List the current recommendations for daily exercise
• Describe some of the broad spectrum of symptoms that relate to the GI tract
• Describe the impact of a chronic bowel disorder on a patient's life
• Discuss how symptoms seen as embarrassing might influence people's decision to visit their doctor
• Discuss the role of the primary care team in encouraging people to lead healthier lives

Suggested Activities 

• Tutorial on GI disorders
• 'Beliefs about food and exercise' - develop a survey to explore peoples' beliefs around food and exercise e.g. what foods are 'good' and 'bad' for you?  How important is exercise in peoples' lives?
• If possible carry out a small-scale survey at local shopping centre, public place and review results.
• Visit to an organisation/activity relevant to diet and/or exercise e.g. local group providing advice on diet, nutrition and/or cooking to young mothers, meet with fitness instructor providing 'exercise on prescription', meet adviser from local 'Weight Watchers' group.
• Have individual formative feedback discussion with tutors on progress on the Medicine in Society course
• Debriefing tutorial