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Diet in Old Age
Adequate Nutrition and a well balanced
diet is of vital importance in Old age so as to prevent and control the
common hazards of Aging. Many factors like poor income, decreased
mobility, social isolation and depression are known to affect the health
and well being of the elderly. Under nutrition, obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis have been identified as the
most important and commonly prevalent nutrition related health problems
in Old Age.
Diet and Feeding Pattern
Since good nutrition is of immense
significance during old age, care should be taken that the diets of
elderly are nutritionally adequate and well balanced. With the
advancement of age, the energy needs are reduced as a result the total
quantum of food intake intake is lowered while the requirement of most
of the other nutrients remains unaltered. Therefore, it becomes all the
more important to provide adequate amounts of all the nutrients within
the decreased energy levels.
Few factors to be kept in mind while
planning balanced meals for the elderly
- Intake of energy rich foods like
sweets, fried or high fat foods, cereals and starches needs to be
reduced while liberal amounts of milk and milk products, fresh
fruits, vegetables particularly green leafy vegetables, should be
included to meet the vitamin and mineral needs.
- An adequate intake of calcium, in
particular, should be ensured to compensate for its losses due to
gradual demineralization of bones associated with aging.
- Since sufficient exposure to
sunlight is essential to meet the body's needs for vitamin D, in
case of elderly individuals confined to bed, suppliments of this
vitamin need to be provided.
- Food rich in fats, especially
saturated fats, should be avoided and instead oils containing high
levels of poly unsaturated fatty acids such as sunflower oils,
soyabean oil etc. should be used to prevent and control the
condition of hypertension and other cardio-vascular diseases.
- Intake of simple sugars, should be
reduced as these provide only empty calories.
- Dietary fibre has a beneficial
effect in various conditions associated with aging such as
constipation, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, adequate amount
of food rich in dietary fibre should be included in the diet.
- With the advancement of age, the
capacity to digest and tolerate large meals often decreases.
Therefore, the quantity of food given at a time needs to be
decreased. If required number of meals can be increased as per the
individual's tolerance
- Due to the loss of teeth
particularly if dentures are not used, modifications in consistency
needs to be done. The diet should be soft, well cooked and should
include foods that need little or no mastication such as milk and
milk products, soft cooked eggs, tender meats, gruels, soft cooked
vegetables, grated salads, fruit juices, soft fruits like banana or
stewed fruits.
- The food for the elderly should be
colourful, attractive and tasty and should be served in pleasant
surroundings so as to arouse their appetite and interest in the
food.
- Apart from the diet, the elderly
are advised to continue with their physical activity and light
exercises to keep fit and prevent the occurrence of diseases like
arthritis, gout and obesity. Regular or periodic health checkups and
weight monitoring also helps in physical fitness and early detection
of complications, if any
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A Days Sample Diet Plan for an
Elderly Man
Mr. Yadav, aged 70 years and
weighing 60 kgs, is a retired Air Force Officer. Besides being engaged in
light household activities, he is a prominent social worker of his area. He
has turned vegetarian under the influence of his work and religion discourses.
A day's sample diet plan for him is planned here
Personal Data
| Age |
70
years |
| Sex |
Male |
| Body
Weight |
60
kgs |
| Physical
Activity |
Sedentary |
| Socio-economic
Status |
MIG |
| Food
Habits |
Vegetarian |
Recommended Dietary Allowances
| Energy |
1976
kcal |
| Protein |
60
g |
| Calcium |
400
mg |
| Thiamine |
1.0
mg |
Sample Menu Plan
| Meal |
Menu |
| Early
Morning |
Tea |
| Breakfast |
Broken
wheat porridge |
| |
Poached
egg |
| |
Toast
with butter |
| |
Apple |
| Mid-Morning |
Coffee |
| |
Biscuits |
| Lunch |
Lentil
Dal |
| |
Palak
Saag |
| |
Salad |
| |
Chapattis |
| |
Fruit
Custard |
| Evening
Tea |
Vegetable
Upma |
| |
Tea |
| Dinner |
Lauki
Kofta Curry |
| |
Potato
& cauliflower (dry) |
| |
Grated
Carrot Salad |
| |
Boondi
Raita |
| |
Chapattis/Rice |
| Bed
time |
Milk |
Keeping all the aspects in mind, providing a
proper diet to the old will keep them free from most of the diseases and they
would be able to lead an active and happy life. A proper diet, exercise and a
pleasant environment are important for adding healthy and happy years to the
life of our elderly. Also to be borne in mind is the fact that "Everyone
of us has to reach this
phenomenon of nature one day or the other, provided we are lucky enough."
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