The comments of Dr. Icie Macy Hoobler, Chairman, and 22 guest conferees, well qualified to discuss this subject, are reported in the Conference Proceedings. The first half of this Report is devoted to problems relating to the determination of food intakes and the conversion of items of foods into specific nutrients.
The diet history is contrasted with a food intake record, the former being an attempt to find an "average" intake drawn from a long period of time, while the latter aims at recording accurately what was eaten during a short but specific period. Either a three or a seven day period is usually chosen for the food intake record. It is stressed that the diet history should be taken by an experienced interviewer who has the ability to obtain the desired information regarding the patient's food habits.