{"id":29180,"date":"2024-02-27T12:12:19","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T12:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/?p=29180"},"modified":"2024-02-27T12:12:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T12:12:19","slug":"millions-of-older-people-dont-get-enough-nutrients-how-to-spot-it-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/research-blog\/2024\/02\/27\/millions-of-older-people-dont-get-enough-nutrients-how-to-spot-it-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Millions of older people don\u2019t get enough nutrients \u2013 how to spot it and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"

By 2050, approximately a quarter of the UK population is\u00a0expected to be over the age of 65<\/a>. With this in mind, the World Health Organization (WHO) has put \u201chealthy ageing<\/a>\u201d on its agenda. This means finding ways to maintain health, wellbeing and functional ability in order to have a good quality of life and enjoy the later years.<\/p>\n

\"Hands<\/p>\n

Everyone ages at a different rate \u2013 but there are some things that can influence how well we age, such as by making changes to the types of activity we do and the foods we eat.<\/p>\n

Older adults are\u00a0generally less physically active<\/a>\u00a0than they were when they were younger and because of this, their energy intake requirement may decrease. However, there is a difference between energy requirements and nutrient requirements, and nutrient requirements actually remain the same, if not increase, as we get older.<\/p>\n

This means we need to get more nutrients into less energy which can be tricky as\u00a0older adults often have lower appetites<\/a>. This is why\u00a0scientists suggest<\/a>\u00a0that it may be necessary to enrich the food of older people to maintain the nutrient intake.<\/p>\n

How to spot when someone isn\u2019t eating enough?<\/h2>\n

Several studies have shown<\/a>\u00a0that undernutrition affects one in ten older people living independently at home. However, it affects five in ten older people living in nursing homes, and seven in ten older people in hospital.<\/p>\n

Being overweight, even obese,\u00a0does not protect<\/a>\u00a0against undernutrition. And when older adults lose weight, they lose muscle, meaning that they are more likely to lose their\u00a0abilities to do daily tasks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Weight loss in older adults is a key sign of malnutrition that needs to be addressed \u2013 but it can be easily missed, especially when many older adults associate the idea of thinness\u00a0with good health<\/a>. But clothing that\u2019s too loose or a watchstrap that floats on the wrist are all warning signs of undernourishment.<\/p>\n

Similarly, if someone you care for has started to say things like, \u201cOh, I don\u2019t want much food today, I\u2019m not hungry\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m not hungry, it\u2019s natural, I\u2019m getting older\u201d, or \u201cI\u2019d rather just have a biscuit to be honest,\u201d then these could be warning signs. An effective way to keep on top of this is regular weighing at least once per month which enables a quick response to potential indicators of malnutrition.<\/p>\n

Getting more nutrients into less food<\/h2>\n

If people are eating small amounts of food, it is important to think about how to add more nutrients into it. A very effective technique, \u201cfortification\u201d is commonly done with pre-made products such as breakfast cereals, plant-based milk and bread in the UK.<\/p>\n

Fortification (adding foods, ingredients or nutrients into to existing foods or meals) is easy to do at home as well and can provide a flexible approach for older adults as it allows them to continue eating the foods that they most enjoy.<\/p>\n