HealthInfo Canterbury
Healthy eating & weight for older adults
Good nutrition is important for everyone, but it is even more important as you get older. Eating healthy foods in the right amounts gives your body the fuel it needs to get through the day. Eating well can help to prevent or manage heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. It can also reduce the risk of dementia.
As you get older, it can be difficult to eat as well as you used to. There can be many reasons for this, such as having a smaller appetite, being on a tight budget, being ill, living alone, and having difficulty shopping and cooking. If you don't get the essential nutrients your body needs you can lose weight. You can also increase your risk of:
- catching an infection
- falling and breaking a bone
- developing anaemia (a low red blood cell count, which can cause tiredness, headaches and other symptoms)
- taking longer to recover after surgery
- poor wound healing
- becoming unwell and needing to go to hospital or a rest home
What is a healthy weight in old age?
A healthy weight from your late 60s onwards is higher than what might have been considered ideal when you were younger. Research shows that you don't need to worry about being slightly overweight as long as you maintain your weight at a constant level. However, being underweight or very overweight is not good for your health.
If you are worried about your weight, or you have noticed that your clothes have become looser or tighter, talk to your doctor or practice nurse.
On the next page: Managing my weight for older adults
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2017.
SourceReview key: HIEWO-31470
