Book excerpt: Master the essentials of nutrition science and patient care with this concise text! Williams' Essentials of Nutrition and Diet Therapy, 13th Edition helps you understand and apply nutrition concepts in the treatment of disease, disease prevention, and life enhancement. The text is broken out into three parts: the basics of nutrients and the body, the life cycle and community nutrition, and clinical nutrition. Case studies help you determine nutritional interventions in treating both acute and chronic conditions. Written by nutrition specialists Joyce Gilbert and Eleanor D. Schlenker, this book includes the latest advances in research and evidence-based practice. Strong community focus includes robust coverage of health promotion, cultural competence, patient safety, lifespan, and public health issues. Person-centered approach helps you develop practical solutions to individual problems, based on the authors' personal research and clinical experience. MyPlate for Older Adults is included, as developed by nutrition scientists at Tufts University and the AARP Foundation, along with the Nestlé Mini Nutritional Assessment Scale. Health Promotion sections help you with nutrition education, stressing healthy lifestyle choices and prevention as the best medicine. Case studies provide opportunities for problem solving, allowing you to apply concepts to practical situations in nutrition care. Evidence-Based Practice boxes emphasize critical thinking and summarize current research findings. Focus on Culture boxes highlight cultural competence and the nutritional deficiencies, health problems, and appropriate interventions relating to different cultural, ethnic, racial, and age groups. Focus on Food Safety boxes alert you to food safety issues related to a particular nutrient, population group, or medical condition. Complementary and Alternative Medicine boxes offer uses, contraindications, and advantages/disadvantages of common types of herbs and supplements, and potential interactions with prescription or over-the-counter medications. Chapter summaries and review questions reinforce your understanding of key concepts and their application. Key terms are identified in the text and defined on the page to help reinforce critical concepts. NEW! Next Generation NCLEX(R) (NGN)-style case studies apply concepts to realistic scenarios. NEW! Dietary Guidelines have been updated to the 2020-2025 edition with new illustrations. NEW! Coverage of the Healthy People initiative is updated to the 2030 national objectives. NEW! Revised guidelines for potassium and sodium fit the new recommendations for adequate intake of potassium and for sodium chronic disease risk reduction intake. NEW! Content on obesity is incorporated into the Energy Balance chapter. NEW! Updated content on nutrients is added. NEW! Updated references include many new and current works.