Choice of diet is one way in which an individual can influence his/her own health, and it is to be expected that patients will seek their physician's expert opinion regarding dietary matters. Respect for the legitimacy of these enquiries and balanced informed discussion, which includes general advice for a prudent diet, as well as disease-specific recommendations when indicated, can be the key to a productive relationship between patients and physician. The issue of dietary advice has an impact on the management of most forms of arthritis including osteoarthritis (obesity/energy balance), gout (dietary purines, energy balance, alcohol, fluid intake) and rheumatoid arthritis (n-3 fatty acids). Food hypersensitivity appears to be a rare cause of polyarthritis, and elimination diets and fasting have little or no place in routine practice. Strategies under investigation include oral tolerization, the utility of which remains to be established.