19.6: Nutrition with Advancing Years

Nutrition with Advancing Years

The most basic nutrition problem of many older adults is that they eat fewer calories. Part of this decline is appropriately in line with their declining calorie requirement. But much too often, caloric intake falls even below what they need.

With aging, the sense of taste and smell is diminished to some extent, and this can be a cause of diminishing appetite. The situation is made worse by false notions that spicy, seasoned foods aren’t good for older adults. Unless there’s some specific digestive disorder, diagnosed by a physician who then prescribes bland foods, there’s no reason why older adults can’t enjoy seasonings—and spicy foods may perk up the appetite.

Older adults are at increased risk of dehydration. As one ages, muscle mass diminishes, and muscle is mostly water. Muscles, in fact, serve as a store of water, so older people have less water to draw from to prevent dehydration. Also, they may purposely drink less water because of urinary problems (e.g., incontinence, an enlarged prostate, a frequent urge to urinate). Add to this a diminished sense of thirst, and it’s clear that older adults should make a point of drinking plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration.

Many eat less because of the social and economic problems which often accompany aging—loss of friends, close family, and income. These can lead to general depression or indifference, and a loss of interest in eating.

Seniors need a nutrient-dense diet. As people age, the decreased need for calories is combined with an undiminished need for nutrients.

Figure 19-8: Age-related changes.

One of the most important nutrition problems of older adults is that promoters commonly single them out to be duped, convincing them that their nutritional needs are unique and can’t be met by ordinary foods. There are many pathetic reports of the results. Too commonly, seniors will spend much of the money they need for ordinary food (not to mention housing, medical care, etc.) on “special foods and supplements” sold to them with special promises.

Because the nutrients must come from less food at this stage of life, there’s a greater chance that a false reliance on “health foods” and special supplements, or experiments with eccentric and unbalanced diets, will be harmful.

Vitamin B₁₂ in a vitamin pill or a fortified food (e.g., fortified breakfast cereal) is advised for those over age 50—not because they need more or eat less, but because their ability to absorb it from regular food can diminish (see Chap. 10).

Improving the Diet

The challenges of aging can be very great indeed, but from strictly a nutritional point of view, the problems aren’t really difficult to handle. The usual dietary patterns of older adults show a disproportionately large intake of breads, crackers, and cereals, which are cheaper, more easily stored, and more convenient and easier to eat. The intake of meat and milk lessens, and fruits and vegetables are often lacking. Fats, with their concentrated caloric value, tend to hold their place in the diet, as do sweets and desserts.

If one looks at the typical diet of the older person and compares it to the recommended servings in the MyPlate guide (see Chap. 18), one quickly sees how the diet can be remedied. Fruits and vegetables add relatively little in the way of calories, but supply missing vitamins and minerals. A swing away from the over-emphasis on breads and cereals, and toward more animal products also helps.

A glass or two of fat-free or low-fat milk a day and a few eggs a week often can improve an older person’s diet enormously. Older adults tend to eat less at meals and to snack. Fruit, vegetables, and milk products such as yogurt are nutritious snacks.

Unless cholesterol is restricted in the diet for medical reasons, eggs have many practical advantages for older adults. As said in Chapter 9, eggs are inexpensive, keep a long time in the refrigerator, are tasty, and are easy and quick to cook in a variety of ways. The softness of eggs is desirable for those with missing teeth or ill-fitting dentures. These are significant considerations for older adults—especially if they don’t have much money for food.

Commonly, however, all that’s needed to improve the diet is the company of other people. People young and old tend to prepare more nutritious meals when preparing food for others, and they tend to eat more food in the company of others.

“Move Them Bones”

One of the most important nutritional safeguards of the later years is exercise. Experts on the problems of aging conclude that few of their patients get enough exercise. As one such doctor puts it, “The longer you keep moving, the longer you’ll be able to move.” Also, falls are more common as one ages, and exercise helps prevent falls by improving muscle strength and balance.

Aside from the obvious psychological and physical benefits (e.g., delaying osteoporosis, discussed in Chap. 16), exercise gives older people far more room to err in their diet. As with any age group, exercise causes a person to need more and eat more food. An extra couple of hundred calories a day in food can make all the difference in the quality of the older person’s diet. The effect is self-perpetuating: The exercise stimulates the appetite, the diet improves, and the resulting sense of well-being encourages one to be more physically active.

Lifelong Habits

We see in the dietary problems of older adults the price of poor diet and exercise habits developed in youth and middle age. If people have not become accustomed to fatty, sugary eating, they aren’t likely to begin just because they start getting a Social Security check. If they’re fond of fruits and vegetables and after-dinner walks in their youth, that fondness tends to stay.

As noted at the start of this chapter, when people favor good health habits in earlier years, they tend to still have them—along with better health—in their later years.