Malnutrition in Older Adults
Malnutrition occurs when the body lacks essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients necessary for maintaining healthy tissues and organ function. The effects of malnutrition can be severe, particularly for older individuals because it decreases the function of all organ systems, raises the risk of falls, leads to feelings of depression and anxiety, and more. Risk factors for malnutrition include dining alone, social isolation, depression, chronic illnesses, a history of falls, food insecurity, overly restrictive diets, limited access to transportation, and other elements affecting food quality and quantity. These factors, which are more common among older adults, contribute to a higher rate of malnutrition in individuals aged 65 and above compared to other age groups.
Source: www.ncoa.org
The 5 Best Foods to Eat for Better Skin Health
What we eat has a direct impact on our overall health and wellbeing. So, it’s not surprising that nutrition influences the health of our largest organ: the skin.
Since skin health starts from the inside, it’s important to feed it what it needs. Try adding these five foods to your diet to help your skin stay healthy and defy its age:
- Almonds
- Yogurt
- Salmon
- Grapes
- Orange Fruits and Vegetables
Source: www.silversneakers.com
Malnutrition Fact Sheet
Malnutrition has many warning signs
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Increased illness or infection
- Feeling irritable or depressed
- Unplanned weight loss
- Decreased appetite
Malnutrition can come from a number of factors:
- Chronic conditions
- Limited income
- Trouble swallowing/chewing
- Poor dental health
- Changing taste buds
- Living alone
- Medication side effects
- Poor appetite
- Restricted diets
- Lack of mobility
- Depression
- Dementia
- Gastrointestinal disorder
Malnourished individuals can come in all sizes:
- 715,000 U.S. adults aged 65+ are underweight
- 1 in 3 U.S. adults aged 65+ are overweight
- You can be underweight or overweight and still malnourished
Malnutrition affects all groups of people:
- 9 million older adults can’t afford nutritious food
- 1 in 4 adults aged 65+ either reduces meal sizes or skips meals
- 16% of independent older adults are at high risk for malnutrition
You can’t always prevent or treat malnutrition by just eating more:
- Adjust your diet to get all the nutrients your body needs
- Exercise to build muscle and improve strength
- Consult a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
- Consider using an oral nutritional supplement
Source: www.ncoa.org