Navigating the world of nutrition and diet can feel like learning a new language, especially with the abundance of acronyms used. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to deciphering these abbreviations, covering terms related to food programs, menu planning, eating disorders, and dietary assessments.
Government Programs and Menu Planning
Several acronyms are associated with government programs aimed at ensuring adequate nutrition, particularly for children and families. Understanding these terms is crucial for schools, healthcare providers, and individuals participating in these programs.
- USDA: United States Department of Agriculture.
- V/F: Vegetable/Fruit.
- WIC: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. This program provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.
Menu Planning Approaches
- Food-Based Menu Planning: This approach, endorsed by the USDA, focuses on the types and amounts of foods offered, utilizing traditional and enhanced methods. It uses meal patterns with food items from specific food group components in specific amounts, by age-grade group, to plan meals. It is similar to the traditional food-based menu planning approach, except that it uses different age-grade groups and a different number of servings of vegetables/fruits and grains/breads.
- Nutrient-Based Menu Planning: This approach uses computer software to plan menus that align with nutrition standards. The USDA recognizes two types: the nutrient standard approach and the assisted approach.
- Alternate Menu Planning Approaches (Any Reasonable Approach): Menu planning approaches that are adopted or developed by state food authorities or state agencies and that differ from the standard approaches.
- Assisted Nutrient Standard Menu Planning Approach: One of the nutrient-based menu planning approaches that provides schools with menus developed and nutritionally analyzed by other sources.
- School Meals Initiative: The School Meals Initiative includes the regulations that define how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other Nutrition Standards apply to school meals.
Key Terms in Menu Planning
- Entrée: Under the nutrient-based menu planning approaches, an entrée is a school lunch menu item that is a combination of foods or a single food item offered as the main course, as defined by the menu planner. The entrée is the central focus of the meal and forms the framework around which the rest of the meal is planned.
- Food Component: One of four food groups that comprise reimbursable meals planned under a food-based menu-planning approach. The four food components are meat/meat alternate, grains/breads, fruits/vegetables, and fluid milk.
- Food Item: One of the five foods from the four food components required to be offered in school lunches under food-based menu planning approaches or one of the four foods required to be offered in school breakfasts.
- Meal Patterns: A term used to refer to food items under the food-based menu planning approach as specified for various age-grade groups.
- Menu Item: Any single food or combination of foods, except condiments, served in a meal under the nutrient-based menu planning approaches (nutrient standard menu planning and assisted nutrient standard menu planning approaches).
- Indicator Nutrients: Term used to refer to nutrients in the Nutrition Standards (or in other government provisions and programs) for which there may not be concerns about adequate or excessive intake but that serve as a proxy for foods and dietary patterns likely to include a range of important nutrients. These are calories, calories from total fat, calories from saturated fat, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
- Nutrients of Concern: A term that has evolved over time to refer to nutrients for which there are indications that current intakes are too low or too high.
Program Operations
- NSLP: National School Lunch Program. The program under which participating schools operate a nonprofit lunch program, in accordance with 7 CFR Part 210.
- Nonreimbursable Meals: Meals that are served but that cannot be claimed for reimbursement in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, such as adult meals, á la carte meals, and second meals served to students.
Nutrition Standards
- Nutrition Standards: A collective term for the nutrition goals for school meals that currently includes nutrients and other dietary components that are required as well as those that are recommended.
- Meal Requirements: The set of standards used to develop menus and meals so as to implement the Nutrition Standards.
- Nutrient Analysis: The process of developing or monitoring school menus on the basis of an analysis of the nutrients in the menu items and foods offered over a school week to determine if the specific levels of a set of key nutrients and calories are met for the applicable age-grade group.
- Nutrients and Other Dietary Components: A term used to refer collectively to any nutrition-related substance that may be encompassed by the Nutrition Standards, including calories, vitamins, minerals, food components such as saturated fat and whole grains, and food categories such as fruits and vegetables.
Dietary Guidelines
- Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges: The range of intakes of an energy source that is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease yet that can provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients.
- Adequate Intake: A recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group or groups of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate.
- Estimated Average Requirement: The usual daily intake level that is estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a life-stage and gender group.
- Estimated Energy Requirement: For children, the estimated energy requirement represents the sum of the dietary energy intake predicted to maintain energy balance for the child’s age, weight, height, and activity level plus an amount to cover normal growth and development.
Meal Service
- Offer Versus Serve: For lunch, offer versus serve is required in high school but is optional in junior high and elementary schools. Offer versus serve is optional in all grades for breakfast. For Food-Based Menu Planning Approaches High school students must be offered a complete lunch of at least five food items, but they may select three full portions of the items for the meal to be qualified for reimbursement. For junior high and elementary schools, students can be required to select either three or four food items. Under offer versus serve, a reimbursable breakfast must contain four food items, from which the student must choose at least three full portions. For Nutrient-Based Menu Planning Approaches Children must be offered the planned lunch that meets the Nutrition Standard and that includes, at a minimum, an entrée, fluid milk as a beverage, and at least one side dish. If the planned lunch contains three menu items, students can decline one menu item (they cannot decline the entrée). If the planned lunch contains more than three menu items, students cannot decline more than two.
- Reimbursable Meal: Department of Agriculture Meal Requirements and Nutrition Standard, that is served to an eligible student, and that is priced as an entire meal rather than priced on the basis of individual items.
Eating Disorder Terminology
The field of eating disorders utilizes a wide array of acronyms, which can be confusing for individuals seeking information or support. Here's a breakdown of common terms:
Types of Eating Disorders
- AN: Anorexia Nervosa
- AAN: Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
- AN-BP: Anorexia Nervosa - Binge Eating/Purging Type
- AN-R: Anorexia Nervosa - Restricting Type
- BN: Bulimia Nervosa
- BED: Binge Eating Disorder
- ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
- OSFED: Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders
- EDNOS: Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (from DSM IV and no longer used)
- EDO: Eating Disorder
- SEED: Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders
- NES: Night Eating Syndrome
Related Psychological and Medical Conditions
- ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
- ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders
- BDD: Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- BPD: Borderline Personality Disorder
- OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- PMDD: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
- PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Treatment Approaches
- ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- BSFT: Behavioral Systems Family Therapy
- CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- CBT-A: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa
- CBT-B: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa
- CBT-E: Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- CPT: Cognitive Processing Therapy
- CRT: Cognitive Remediation Therapy
- DBT: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- EFFT: Emotion-Focused Family Therapy
- ERP: Exposure and Response Prevention
- FBT: Family-Based Treatment (for children and adolescents)
- FBT-AN: Family-Based Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa
- FBT-BN: Family-Based Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa
- FCT: Family Centered Treatment
- IT: Interpersonal Therapy
- MET: Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- RO DBT: Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- TMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Levels and Types of Care
- HLOC: Higher Level of Care
- IP: Inpatient Treatment
- IOP: Intensive Outpatient Treatment
- ITU: Intensive Treatment Unit
- PHP: Partial Hospitalization Program
- RTC: Residential Treatment
- VIOP: Virtual Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Other Relevant Terms
- BMI: Body Mass Index. “A person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness.
- BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate
- EBW: Expected Body Weight
- GW: Goal Weight
- IBW: Ideal Body Weight
- MC: Milieu Coordinator
- MSW: Minimum Safe Weight
- NG: Nasogastric (Tube Feeding)
- NSSI: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
- OTC: Over the Counter (Medications)
- RAC: Recovery Ambassador Council
- SH: Self-Harm
- SI: Self-Injury
- SIB: Self Injurious Behavior
- SSRI: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
- TW: Target Weight
- CHSP: Chew and Spit
Organizations and Associations
- AED: Academy for Eating Disorders
- APA: American Psychiatric Association (also American Pediatric Association)
- IAEDP: International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals
- NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
- NEDA: National Eating Disorder Association
Demographics
- BIPOC: Black, Indigenous and People of Color
- LGBTQIA+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual
Insurance
- EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization
- HMO: Health Maintenance Organization
- PPO: Preferred Provider Organizations
Professional Credentials
When seeking help from eating disorder professionals, you'll often encounter acronyms after their names, indicating their qualifications and expertise. Here are some common ones:
- ABPP: American Board of Professional Psychology
- ATR: Art Therapist Registered
- CD: Certified Dietitian
- CDN: Certified Dietitian Nutritionist
- CEDS: Certified Eating Disorders Specialist
- CEDS-C: Certified Eating Disorders Specialist - Consultant
- DFAACAP: Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- DFAPA: Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association
- DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Dr.: Doctor
- DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
- Ed.D.: Doctor of Education
- FAAP: Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
- FACP: Fellow of the American College of Physicians
- FAND: Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- FAED: Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders
- F.iaedp: Fellow of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals
- FIPA: Fellow of the International Psychoanalytic Association
- FSAM: Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
- FSAHM: Fellow of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine
- LCP: Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
- LCSW: Licensed Certified Social Worker; Licensed Clinical Social Worker
- LCSW-C: Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical
- LD: Licensed Dietitian
- LDN: Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist
- LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor
- LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- LMSW: Licensed Master Social Worker
- LN: Licensed Nutritionist
- LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor
- LPC-S: Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor
- MA: Master of Arts
- MBA: Master of Business Administration
- MCN: Master of Clinical Nutrition
- MD: Doctor of Medicine
- MS: Master of Science
- MSN: Master of Science in Nursing
- MSW: Master of Social Work
- NCC: National Certified Counselor
- NPP: Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry
- PCA: Patient Care Assistant
- PhD: Doctor of Philosophy
- PNP: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- PsyD: Doctor of Psychology
- RCC: Registered Clinical Counselor
- RD: Registered Dietitian
- RDN: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Dietary Assessment Methods
Various methods are used to assess dietary intake, each with its own set of acronyms. Understanding these terms is essential for researchers, dietitians, and healthcare professionals involved in nutrition assessment.
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- 24HR: The 24-Hour Recall is a retrospective assessment method in which an interviewer prompts a respondent to recall and describe all foods and beverages consumed in the preceding 24 hours or the preceding day. The interview may be conducted in-person or by telephone and may be paper and pencil or computer assisted.
- DH: Diet History questionnaires are a retrospective assessment method ascertaining a respondent's "usual" food intake by collecting descriptive detail and amount information about each food. DHs may include questions on meal patterns, lists of common foods and groups of generic food.
- FFQ: Food frequency questionnaire is a retrospective method asking respondents to report their usual frequency of consumption of each food from a list of foods for a specific period (several months or a year).
- HFFQ: Harvard FFQ, FFQ developed at Harvard University by Walter Willett and colleagues. Comprehensive FFQ-type questionnaire designed to supplement other dietary assessment method.
- DLW: Doubly Labeled Water method is used to measure energy expenditure in free-living subjects. This method involves the administration of water containing enriched quantities of the stable isotopes deuterium (2H) and oxygen-18 (18O).
Other Diet-Related Acronyms
Beyond specific programs and disorders, several other acronyms relate to general dietary approaches and concepts.
- GE: Gross Energy. This is the total energy in a feed or diet before it is consumed by the animal.
- DE: Digestible Energy. DE is the energy in a feed or diet that remains in the animal after it is digested.
- ME: Metabolizable Energy.
- NE: Net Energy. NE is the energy actually used by the animal for maintenance, growth, milk production and fetal growth.
- NEm: Net Energy used for maintenance.
- NEg: Net Energy used for bodyweight gain.
- NEL: Net Energy used for lactation.
- MNT: Medical Nutrition Therapy: An evidence-based application of the Nutrition Care Process.
- NCP: Nutrition Care Process: A systematic problem-solving method that credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners use to critically think and make decisions when providing medical nutrition therapy or to address nutrition-related problems and provide safe and effective quality nutrition care.
Popular Diets
- GAPS: Gut and Psychology Syndrome. An acronym for “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” this diet is a bit more complex than some of the others because you avoid certain foods for a period of time then slowly reintroduce them later after your gut has had a chance to "heal."
- Feingold Diet: Developed a few decades ago by Dr. Feingold, a pediatrician and allergist, the Feingold Diet actually exhibits some overlap with our “real food” diet. The Feingold Program (also known as the Feingold Diet) is a test to determine if certain foods or food additives are triggering particular symptoms.
Related Terms
- BMI: Body Mass Index.
- Client-Centered: Please see “Patient-Centered”.
- Health Equity: Equity is the absence of avoidable, unfair, or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically or by other means of stratification.
- Obesity: Abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.
- Overweight: Weight that is considered greater than is healthy for a given height. It may be associated with abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health.
- Weight Stigma: “Refers to the discriminatory acts and ideologies targeted towards individuals because of their weight and size.
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