Nutrition needs change with age—especially for people with cystic fibrosis. Dietitians at your cystic fibrosis clinic offer specially tailored dietary programs for each stage of life.
Children and teens with cystic fibrosis need extra calories to grow and develop. Everyone with CF, no matter their age, needs good nutrition to stay strong against lung infections and other challenges. Occasionally, patients need to take nutrition through a tube ("tube-feeding") to provide extra calories that help the body grow and stay strong.
Body Mass Index or “BMI” is a calculation used to assess how healthy an individual’s weight is relative to their height.
Almost half of all people with cystic fibrosis in Canada today are adults. They are facing diseases most often associated with the middle-aged or elderly. These diseases include CF-related diabetes and brittle bones (osteoporosis or osteopenia). By working closely with your CF clinic team, good nutrition can help to prevent or lessen the impact of these and other health problems.
Nutrition Supplements
In Ontario, cystic fibrosis patients are able to obtain free prescriptions for some nutrition supplements (for example Scandishake). These can be obtained through your CF team from a cystic fibrosis pharmacy. London Health Sciences Centre - Victoria Hospital, and Windsor Regional Hospital - Metropolitan Campus in Windsor are two area cystic fibrosis outpatient pharmacies. A list of what nutrition supplements are covered and what flavours can be found on www.specialtyfoodshop.ca
