[Nutritional assessment of adults and elderly and the nutritional status of the Brazilian population].

Nutritional disorders (undernutrition and obesity) are associated to increases in morbidity and mortality. This paper consists on a review of literature with the purpose of describing the main methods of nutritional assessment, in order to facilitate the diagnosis of nutritional disorders and the follow-up of dietetics interventions. It describes the clinical method, details procedures of anthropometry and laboratory evaluation and enrolls some of the multiple indices used for diagnosis and prognosis. Information about bioelectric impedance is given. Some aspects of non-conventional methods are reminded. Nutritional status of the Brazilian population is discussed, using the analysis of data collected from three populational surveys (1974, 1989, and 1997).