Nutrition and Senior Autonomy
Nutrition and Senior Autonomy.. According to the results of a new study by Institute of Health, obesity, overweight or being too thin means loss of independence among the elderly population. Seniors who maintain normal BMI have less risk of ‘loss of autonomy’.
With age, good nutrition becomes even more important, to stay healthy, but also to prevent extreme cases of obesity or skinniness.
Indeed, a recent study published in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin of the Institute of Health confirms that these two extremes may promote the loss of independence among seniors.
The analysis focused on people aged over 75 still living at home. More than half of the 4300 participants had a body mass index (BMI) classified as overweight ( > 25) or obese (> 30) for 1/3 of them. 15% were very skinny (BMI<18.5).
Among the signs of loss of autonomy, the restriction of daily life activities, loss of mobility, the frequency of trips away from home were taken into account. Investigators have recognized these factors and found them to be correlated with the BMI of the participants followed.
After adjusting for socioeconomic variables (age, marital status, education and income) and the number of chronic diseases reported during the 1 year prior to the survey, the researchers reached the conclusion that men experiencing thinness or obesity showed a significant increase of risk of autonomy loss. In women, however, this risk was increased only in overweight or obese.
Over the age of 60, dietary needs change. To maintain optimal nutritional intake, all food groups must be represented and source of nutrients should be varied (different fats, animal and vegetable proteins), food intake should be distributed throughout the day and consumption of dairy products should be emphasized (to maintain the bone calcium).
Hydration is the other major thing to be watched in the elderly. Older people do not necessarily feel the thirst as much and they need to drink regularly throughout the day.
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