Older Americans need to make every calorie count

As individuals age, their declining intensity needs mean they must eat better while eating les USDA diet consumption survey data indicate that greatest in quantity older Americans are having derange fitting the recommended number of daily provisions group servings into their decreased "calorie budgets"

While the basic nutrition advice in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the bread Guide Pyramid applies to healthy adults of all ages, the somewhat advanced in life face some special challenges, particularly declining force (calorie) needs as metabolism moderates down. For some older adults, decreased physical activity may further bring energy needs, although the Dietary Guidelines emphasize that healthy seniors, just like younger adults, should be physically active each day.

Because the amount of nutrition they can eat while maintaining calorie balance is more limited than when they were younger, older individuals must elect wisely, selecting nutrient-dense foods and limiting "extras." To help older adults and others visualize what this means, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center upon Aging at Tufts University created an "elderly pyramid" that is narrower than the viands Guide Pyramid for the general population (see box) The more narrow shape of the somewhat old pyramid indicates that most individuals age 70 and older should pitch upon the smaller numbers of servings within the range praiseed by the Food Guide Pyramid.

A more quantitative way of providing regimen choice guidance would be to calculate benchmark food densities for younger and older men and women A benchmark viands density is the number of servings by means of 1,000 calories an individual consuming a given number of calories would ne to destroy to meet the Food Guide Pyramid recommendations. For example, a individual son who consumes 2,200 calories daily should dissipate four servings of vegetables, according to the victuals Guide Pyramid. This consumption horizontal would translate into a benchmark density of 18 servings of vegetables through 1,000 calories.

Data from USDA's Continuing observe of Food Intakes by Individuals, 1994-96 (CSFII 1994-96) were used to examine aliment intakes of younger men and women age 1959 and seniors, age 60 and older overlook respondents lived in household settings, not in institutional settings, of the like kind as nursing homes. Data were bring togethered from a nationwide sample, yielding be the effects representative of the noninstitutionalized American population. The review collected information on what, when, where, and in what manner much individuals ate during the 3-year observe period. We used 1-day dietary intake data from this view to examine how much younger and older adults ate, to reckon benchmark food densities for each age collection and to compare actual intakes of victuals Guide Pyramid food groups with recommendations.

As awaited younger adults ate considerably more than their older counterparts. Men age 19-59 reported consuming an average of 2535 calories for day, compared with 1,940 calories consum by means of men age 60 and older Women age 19-59 reported average intakes of 1676 calories daily, compared with 1413 calories for day for women age 60 and older These figures show calories from foods consumed, as reported by dint of survey respondents. Previous studies indicate individuals repeatedly underreport food intakes, so these figures may be considered lower bourn estimates of daily intake. However, the stretch to decreased caloric intake with increasing age is clear.

The differences by the agency of age and gender in caloric intake indicate that aliment group benchmark densities would keep to be higher in women and in older adults. The benchmarks comput confirm this suggestion. Benchmark servings for the five meat groups are lowest for young men and highest for older women the cluster with the lowest calorie intake (table 1) These numbers exhibit just how important it is that older individuals, particularly women make each calorie count.

More Older Men Than Women proper Food Guide Pyramid Recommendations

Comparisons of average commons group intakes of older men and women with intakes of younger men and women indicate that older individuals eat fewer servings of greatest in quantity food groups than their younger counterparts (table 2) Older men waste fewer servings of grains, vegetables, and meat and meat alternates than younger men on the other hand their intakes fall within the ranges approveed by the Food Guide Pyramid. Older men actually destroy more fruit than younger men and convenient the minimum recommended number of servings, whereas younger men do not. Neither assemblage meets recommendations for the milk, yogurt and cheese group

Younger women are les likely than men to spend recommended numbers of servings; older women are level less likely. Younger women, upon average, consume fewer than the minimum praiseed number of servings of all of the five diet groups except for vegetables. Mean nutrition group intakes of older women are below approveed levels for all food clusters Like older men, older women squander more fruit than their younger counterparts, on the other hand their mean intake level of 18 servings by day still falls below the recommendation for at least 2 servings daily.