SNAQ: Are the Elderly in Your Life Losing Too Much Weight?

This four question quiz should answer the weight question for you.

Answer questions, then tally your SNAQ score using the numerical scale.

My appetite is:
a. Very poor
b. Poor
c. Average
d. Good
e. Very good

When I eat:
a. I feel full after eating only a few mouthfuls.
| b. I feel full after eating about a third of a meal.
c. I feel full after eating over half a meal.
d. I feel full after eating most of the meal.
e. I hardly ever feel full.

Food tastes:
a. Very bad
b. Bad
c. Average
d. Good
e. Very good

Normally I eat:
a. Less than one meal a day
b. One meal a day
c. Two meals a day
d. Three meals a day
e. More than three meals a day

Numerical scale:
a = 1, b = 2, c = 3, d = 4, e = 5. The sum of the scores constitutes the SNAQ score; 14 or less indicates significant risk of at least 5% weight loss within six months.
Source: SNAQ

When families and doctors know that a patient is at high risk for weight loss — frequently linked to chronic pain, depression, dental problems or the cumulative effects of multiple illnesses and medications — they often can do something about it, Wilson says. Patients whose SNAQ scores indicate high risk should see a doctor for a nutritional assessment, she says.