Understand & Defeat Malnutrition in Seniors
“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when the diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”– Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb
Malnutrition is both a cause and a consequence of poor health. Insufficient and unhealthy food can cause malnutrition in seniors and contribute to progressive deterioration of health, including reduced cognitive and functional abilities. Malnutrition can make you either overweight or underweight. It can weaken muscles and bones and leave you exposed to chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, high Blood Pressure, high cholesterol, and fatigue, to name a few. Age-appropriate nutrition is extremely important for the overall health of seniors. The majority of health problems are nutrition-based and nutrition-dependent. Also, the food we eat majorly affects our state of mind.
Causes & Risk Factors for Malnutrition:
The causes of malnutrition are varied, and it can be the result of a combination of physical, social and psychological factors.
Physiological Factors:
- Poor appetite
- Poor oral health – Dentition and Dysphagia
- Loss of taste and smell
- Gastrointestinal disorders – like Malabsorption, decreased Gastric Acid.
- Endocrine disorders – like Diabetes, Thyrotoxicosis
- Respiratory disorders – like Emphysema
- Neurological disorders – like Cerebrovascular, Parkinson’s Disease
- Infections – like Urinary Tract Infection, Chest Infection
- Medication side effects
- Diseases – like Cancer, Congestive Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, End Stage Renal Disease
- Physical disability – like Arthritis, mobility issues
Psychological Factors:
- Depression
- Anxiety/confusion
- Grief/bereavement
- Stressful events
- Dementia/Alzheimer’s
Social and Lifestyle Factors:
- Inadequate finances for optimally nutritious food
- Insufficient knowledge of nutrition and cooking methods
- Inability to shop or prepare food
- Isolation/loneliness
Stomach capacity is comparatively reduced in seniors, therefore the stomach wall signals fullness earlier than required. Dysregulation of several peptide gut hormones is known to contribute to food aversion while ageing.
Weight loss and changed eating behaviour develop during progressive dementia. 50% of Alzheimer’s patients eventually lose the ability to feed themselves. Depression and stress also result in a changed food intake. Low mood can make people eat more “comfort food”, which is not normally healthy. Sensory decline decreases enjoyment of food, leading to less variety and increased consumption of excessively salty and sugary food.
Managing chronic diseases of seniors changes their metabolism and needs dietary restrictions, which along with certain medications can result in malnutrition, if one is not careful.
Three types of weight loss in seniors:
Wasting – an involuntary loss of weight due to deficient diet, which in turn could be due to disease or psychological factors, causing a negative energy balance.
Cachexia – an involuntary loss of fat-free mass, (muscle, organ, tissue, skin, and bone) or body-cell mass. It is caused by catabolism and results in changes in body composition.
Sarcopenia – lack of physical activity or exercise causes muscle disease and then muscle loss and so brings a major physiological change in older people.
In seniors, good nutrition is the main factor in improving or preventing co-morbidities and risk factors mentioned earlier, along with physical activities and emotional wellness. Due to a changing socio-economic environment, seniors are often neglected or left alone to fend for themselves. Nutritional assessment and treatment should be a routine part of care for all elderly persons.
As one gets older, their appetite, food habits, and nutritional needs change in several ways. Malnutrition can be as prevalent in destitution (lack of food) as in affluence (due to lack of right food knowledge). Hence eating a well-balanced nutritious diet is vital for holistic well-being as it helps maintain and improve physical, mental health, boost immunity, enhance energy levels, especially for seniors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Eat frequent nutritious meals at least thrice each day with 2-3 healthy snacks in-between them. Include colorful veggies, fruits, legumes, beans, cereals, high fiber and wholegrain foods, lean meats, eggs, fish, tofu, yogurt, nuts, cheese in meals.
The average nutritional recovery time is 16 days (approximately).
If you have the symptoms listed above, your BMI is <18.5, you have lost more than 5-10% of your body weight in the last (3-6 months), you need to visit the hospital immediately.
The best habit to prevent malnutrition is eating a healthy, balanced diet. Seniors may not require as many calories but their nutritional needs are just as high if not higher than their younger days. So do not skip any meals and take healthy snacks during the day. Also, avoid drinks before meals lest they fill you up.
