What physicians don’t know about patient dietary beliefs and behavior can make a difference

Evaluation of: Zallot C, Quilliot D, Chevaux JB et al. Dietary beliefs and behavior among inflammatory bowel disease patients. Inflamm. Bowel Dis. doi:10.1002/ibd.22965 (2012) (Epub ahead of print). Patients often ask about dietary management of their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). No data exist to support any one specific diet in IBD. The reviewed article reports on patients' beliefs with regards to dietary knowledge and behavior and its impact on social life in IBD. Over a 6-month period, consecutive IBD patients were surveyed using a self-completed questionnaire of 14 items that included information about dietary beliefs and habits. Two hundred and forty four patients were surveyed; 56% believe that food played a role in relapse. Nearly half reported that the disease had changed the pleasure of eating. Sixty seven percent reported purposely avoiding certain foods that they usually liked in order to prevent relapse. The majority of patients avoid eating certain foods and report that food has a strong impact on social life.