ETHICS AND NUTRITION

Whilst much has been written on the implications of withholding or wit hdrawing nutritional support therapy from the terminally ill, the coma tose or vegetative patients relatively little has been published on th e ethical implications of nutritional therapy in other groups. This ar ticle outlines a surgeon's view of ethical issues as they apply to nut rition and concludes that failure to provide nutritional support in on e form or another for patients who have or who are expected to have se ven days or more of inadequate oral intake should now be considered un ethical.