No one is certain if hospital induced malnutrition has always been with usand is just now being recognized by newly nutrition conscious physicians or whether it is anunexpected byproduct of the sophisticated food service systems now popular ininstitutions. Regardless of etiology, hospital malnutrition is a prevalent health problem withserious professional and legal implications. The following instructional essay tells howto recognize undernourished, malnourished, or starving patients. It is the resultof the combined effort of two teams of professionals. It was nearly a year inpreparation. Its reliable guidelines should be useful in every hospital.To make this vital information useful to all, this article is also available asa Nutrition Today Teaching Aid.