Weight has always been the most discussed and most written-upon topic. I believe the most discussed topic of all ages is this weight. But why is it so important to talk about weight? People around us are all interested in knowing their ideal weight. Once they realize their weight is not up to the standards, they start looking for ways to gain their ideal weight.
Why weight assessment is so important?
Sometimes, all this discussion supersaturates our minds. We get stuck in the knowledge and the application of knowledge. But, in the case of weight assessment, let’s try to make it as simple as possible. Weight is the first and foremost means of assessing someone’s over health condition. It tells us how a person is living his life in terms of dietary and lifestyle habits. A physically active person with a healthy lifestyle and eating habits will always be leaner and more active. On the contrary, obese persons will always be found eating and munching with little to no activity in their lives.
General Information in the weight assessment chart
A weight assessment chart begins with general information about the person. It includes the name, age, sex, date of birth, and height of the person who is going to be assessed. If possible, the current weight of the patient is also mentioned in the general information section of the chart.
Some weight assessment charts also include the contact information and home address of the patient for future correspondence.
Medical and Surgical history
Past medical and surgical history of the patient always gives very important clues about the patient’s overall health status. A patient is always inquired about the past history of diabetes, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, cholesterol levels, and history of allergies and asthma. Most of these diseases are associated with excessive weight gain. But diseases like asthma are almost always attributed to weight loss or decreased weight.
History of cancers, stroke, headache, constipation, sleeping disorder, and behavior changes is also asked because they also give clues on the current weight of the patient.
Self-assessment of overall health
In the weight assessment chart, the patient is asked about his own assessment of his overall health. He is asked certain questions which are meant to know what the patient thinks about himself. His idea of his current health status and weight is noted down. He also inquired about the habit of smoking, binge eating during stress, loss of appetite, and his feelings and moods on different occasions and times of the day.
Nutritional assessment
This section of the form contains some questions which are designed to know the dietary habits of the patient. This section is especially of prime importance because it tells you almost the whole story of the current weight of the patient. People tend to answer the question which may bluff the doctor but a series of questions is always helpful in picking up the clues.
Exercise and others
Level of physical activity is also one of the strong associations with weight. Questions on exercise and level of physical activity are asked in this section and analyzed to know what is happening and what can be done about it.
