By 2050, around a quarter of the UK population is expected to be over the age of 65. With this in mind, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has put healthy aging” on its schedule. This means finding ways to maintain health, well-being, and functional ability to have a good quality of life and enjoy the later years.
Everyone ages at a different rate but some things can influence how well we age, such as by making changes to the types of activity we do and the foods we eat.
Older adults are generally less physically active than 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 remain the same, if not increase, as we get older.
This means we need to get more nutrients into less energy which can be tricky as older adults often have less appetite. This is why scientists suggest that it may be necessary to improve the food of older people to maintain their nutrient intake.
Many studies have shown that 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.
Being overweight, even obese, does not protect against undernutrition. And when older adults lose weight, they lose muscle, meaning that they are more likely to lose their ability to do daily tasks.
In older adults, weight loss is a main sign of malnutrition that needs to be addressed but it can be easily missed, especially when many older adults associate the idea of thinness with good health. But clothing that’s too loose or a watchstrap that floats on the wrist are all key signs of undernourishment.
If adults are consuming small amounts of food, it is important to think about how to add more nutrients to it. A very effective technique, “fortification” is usually done with pre-made products such as bread, plant-based milk, and breakfast cereals in the UK.
Fortification (adding foods, ingredients, or nutrients into existing foods or meals) is easy to do at home as well and can provide a flexible method for older adults as it allows them to continue eating the foods that they enjoy.
Generally, for older adults protein is a very important nutrient, because of muscle loss (sarcopenia) which is a usual part of aging. This could be reduced or even reversed by eating enough protein at regular intervals throughout the day. A few ways to increase protein include, adding dairy ingredients such as milk, high-protein yogurt, Quark (soft cheese), milk powders, eggs, and cheese into meals, even into simple foods like mashed potato.
Nuts are considered a great source of protein, try adding ground almonds to savory or sweet meals. Soy protein can be a convenient and cost-effective option, either for vegetarians or to further strengthen minced-meat meals.
Generally, in the sports section of supermarkets, you can find whey protein powders. These are sold to gym enthusiasts, but to stimulate muscle growth, whey is one of the best proteins. Before cooking this versatile ingredient can be mixed into porridge or used it as a substitute for other powdered ingredients in baking.
Physical activity and nutrition go hand-in-hand – both are equally important. As we age, being physically active becomes even more important as it helps to prevent disease, maintains independence, reduce the risk of falls, improves cognitive function, mental health and sleep.
Exercise can also combat isolation and loneliness which has also been associated with reduced appetite in older adults. Often strength training gets overlooked when we think of being active but to keep independence and prevent falls, older adults should do various physical activity that highlights balance and strength training at average or greater intensity on three or more days a week.
Finally, it’s very important to contact a dietician or doctor with any doubts or worries about unintentional weight loss or malnutrition. However, there are some excellent resources to learn more about aging healthily and maintaining a good quality of life in later years.
