The importance of nutrition for older adults

A key public health issue is the health of the increasing global ageing population. Such a population shift will necessitate changes and improvements to healthcare systems and individual lifestyle behaviours to ensure that adults who are living longer are doing so in good health. Just as in any other age group, adequate nutrition is paramount to ensure optimal physical and mental functioning for older adults. However, the ability to achieve adequate nutritional status will be affected by a range of factors; for example chronic illnesses can have a direct impact on nutritional status, while suffering from poor mental health can affect appetite. This chapter aims to describe the ageing population and nutritional requirements of older adults, present the evidence linking nutrition and chronic disease risk and then summarise the factors that affect dietary intake, nutritional status and malnutrition risk of older adults, including medical, physical, psychological, social and economic factors, which can have both direct and indirect impact on dietary intake.