With the increase of age, the physiological function of the elderly continues to decline, including the gastrointestinal tract, the function of the teeth are not as good as before.
Even many elderly people over the age of 65 will also have a decrease in smell and taste, which will affect appetite, cause food intake to become less, and finally lead to malnutrition.
So how do you find out if older adults are at risk of malnutrition?
First, observe whether there has been a recent weight loss.
Observe whether the elderly have lost weight in half a year, especially in the last three months. If the weight loss is more than 10% from the original weight, there may be relatively severe malnutrition.
Second, observe how your appetite has been recent.
See if you've been eating less recently than before, and if you notice a significant reduction in eating than before, you should pay attention to it.
Third, attention weight index (BMI).
Body mass index (BMI) is the square of body weight divided by height, weight in kilograms, height in meters.
The standard of the BMI of the elderly, which varies according to age, the minimum value of the normal BMI is 18.5 for the elderly under 70 years of age;
Elderly people over the age of 70 may have a decrease in height due to osteoporosis and other problems, and the minimum value of the body mass index should be adjusted to 22 accordingly.
All in all, once it is found that the elderly have more weight loss and poor appetite, it may indicate a potential risk of malnutrition and other diseases, and it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time.
Reference: Medical Microvision official website "Malnutrition in the Elderly" - What changes warn that the elderly may be at risk of malnutrition?
Speakers: Sun Xiaohong, Chief Physician- Director of the Department of Geriatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Deputy Leader of the Digestive Group of the Geriatrics Branch of the Beijing Medical Association, And Member of the Gastroenterology Group of the Geriatrics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association