Introduction
Despite aging being associated with the decline in the physiological and cognitive functions that results to health issues, certain studies have shown the probability of diet being a crucial determinant in the healthy life during one’s old age. However, as adults move into old age, it becomes increasingly challenging to meet age-specific dietary recommendations. The dietary intake of the old is mainly dominated by fewer fruits and vegetables and increased intake of packaged foods as well as a low variety of food. Previously, many studies have focused on nutrients. But these being consumed in combination with other meals, there has been growing need to have comprehensive research on dietary as a whole and the effect on older adults. The little research that has been done on the dietary has shown that economic uncertainty can affect the decision making regarding food intake and this has predominantly impacted the health outcome of aging people. Some of the constituents of a healthy diet are perceived by many as a luxury, while others claim that fresh foods are unavailable in the nearby stores making them resort to packaged foods. Many kinds of literature have however shown that stable economic conditions, appropriate farm produce delivery plans, stable psychological conditions, good appetite and supportive environmental factors are the contributing factors to quality dieting patterns among the older adults.
Synthesis of Literatures
Diet is a very integral part of the population health promotion and management of chronic diseases. According to Lopresti, Hood and Drummond (2013) , as adults get into old age, they move towards eating a diet that is nutritionally suboptimal with reduced variety and fewer vegetables. A healthy diet is therefore essential in helping the older adults maintain a healthy life and manage chronic diseases. In supporting the well-being of the aging population, public health and policymakers must make clear the choice of the right diet for the older adults and what factors impact their choices.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Economic factors
While healthy diet has been said to be individual choice and supportive psychological factors, economic access has been considered a major challenge to the aging population. Various economic factors such as prices of food and availability of finance has a direct impact on the quality of diet that the aging population takes. According to Reedy et al. (2014), majority of the aging population especially those living in the subsidized urban experience the threat of food insecurity, and due to their low income levels, they are unable to buy healthy meals that constitutes a healthy diet. Some consider foods such as vegetables as luxurious foods for only the rich, and thus limit their choice of food to the cheap and readily available packed food that have insufficient variety. Studies have shown that almost half of an individual’s income is required to be spent in healthy diet for the aging population, and with the high costs of therapeutic diets puts even more burden on the low income older adults. Adequate income is therefore necessary for having a more varied and healthy diet among the older adults, and this is necessary to help improve their health outcome and successfully manage chronic conditions that is associated with old age. An older person may be willing to take nutritious meals but due to budget constraints, an individual’s options gets limited forcing one to feed on cheap unhealthy meals or even skip some meals.
Mayén et al. (2014) argue that consumption of fruits and vegetables is useful and has been linked with the better health and well-being of the older adults. A recent study shows that increased intake of fruits and vegetables has led to decreased cancer, obesity and cardiovascular-related deaths. High levels of income among the aging population in some families have shown increased intake of fruits and vegetables. Gender and marital status have also been associated with consumption of vegetables and fruits. Studies have shown that older adult women consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables compared to men. Women living in low socioeconomic status experience lower consumption of fruits and vegetables due to income. It is therefore evident that high level of income among the older adults can lead to increased consumption of fruits and vegetables which is healthy for a quality diet among the aging population.
According to World Health Organization, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables has been reported to contribute to approximately 5% of the older adults’ deaths worldwide caused majorly by chronic diseases. A variety of fruits and vegetable has been recommended as an important component in supporting healthy living. Studies have also shown that high intake of fruits and vegetables have reduced the risks of cancer and other chronic disease ( Lopresti, Hood & Drummond, 2013 ). Greater food variety among the older adults is important in managing and preventing certain chronic conditions because a variety of food enhances nutritional adequacy and diet quality. However, the consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables has been reported to be high in older adults from high-income families compared to those from low-income families.
Farmers Market Produce Delivery Programs
According to Cummins, Flint and Matthews (2014 ), older adults are home-based, and their nutrition levels depend on the ability of the farm produce to reach their locality. A community program is therefore required to bring the farm produce to the community locality so that the aging population can access them. Studies show that many older adults resort to consuming cheap packaged foods because they are readily available within their locality. The fresh supply of farm produce by the farmers can help mitigate the impacts of dietary and nutritional problems among the aging population who critically rely on such fresh farm produce to increase their health outcomes. Fresh vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes, oranges, and pineapples are very healthy for good nutrition to the healthy population. Healthy diet is therefore dependent on the availability of an appropriate product delivery programs to the locality where the aging population can access them. Without appropriate delivery of the farm produce, the aging population have only continued to rely on packaged
Lai et al. (2013) add that an evaluation of market-based programs has indicated that the program can help improve food security and nutrition among the population, with more than 94% of older adults reported increased intake of fruit and vegetables. Such fresh food is flavorful and offers high-quality nutrition that is useful in helping one have successful aging. Studies have also shown that complementary nutrition education can help promote a healthy preparation of the farm produce and promote the health outcome of the aging population
Mental and Psychological Health
According to Quirk et al. (2013), mental and psychological factors have a direct effect on the nutrition level of an older adult. As one grows old, certain psychological changes occur, and this can affect one’s feeding habit. Depression among the aging population has been identified as one of the major causes of malnutrition in older adults. As people grow old, certain factors such as economic conditions and loneliness can make one develop stress and anxiety which makes one eat less. Dementia and confusion have also been linked to impairment of the eating habits among the older adults by affecting the choice of which foods to take. A stressed person loses the urge to eat, becomes choosy with foods he eats and as a result, can impact their dietary levels. Research has shown that older adults with better and stable psychological state of mind have a better and quality dietary pattern because they can feed well compared to a stressed person.
Studies have shown that individuals who adopt unhealthy eating behaviors with and substance abuse at a young age tend to have the habits grow in them until they get to older age. Such youths reach old age, and due to the prolonged poor diet, they continue with their unhealthy behaviors. Behaviors such as skipping meals and taking a lot of snacks and packaged food tend to affect their feeding pattern at old age. Such individuals tend to continue with the same eating habit even at their old age, and this makes them prone to chronic conditions and high death rates. The feeding habit that one adopted at a young age can, therefore, affect the dietary pattern of the same person when he grows old.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors have been very critical in affecting the dietary patterns among the aging population. The mushrooming of shopping malls, the convenient location of stores, vending machines and location next to food outlets have been mentioned as one of the major environmental factors that impact the dietary patterns of the older adults. A survey identifies various changeable factors within the environment that impact the eating habits of older people. The modification of one’s environment has therefore been identified as one of the ways to improve the dietary pattern of the older adults ( Sun, Buys & Hills, 2014 ). The socio-environmental factors are associated with access to food, availability of healthy food and affordability of the healthy food. The environmental, cultural actions also influence one’s choice of food and nutritional well-being.
Location next to food stores, shopping malls, and other food outlets plays a significant role in determining the dietary level of the older population. If the older population are located next to food stores, they may be able to access a variety of foods from the food stores. However, studies have shown that location next to food stores promote feeding on packaged foods which are limited in the nutrient variety and thus low-quality diet.
The family level factors within one’s environment have also been identified as one of the factors that impact the dietary pattern of an individual at old age. Staying with a family that promotes and supports the older adult to take healthy diet can help promote a positive dietary pattern. Since the family members are majorly responsible for cooking to the older adults, they play a key role in determining what the older adults eat. Having a family that has a strong belief in a healthy diet will thus help facilitate quality diet among the older population. Family social support is important to the aging population in achieving quality diet. Social support can also act as a source of knowledge for the older population to make them improve their dietary patterns.
Appetite
Aging is associated with vulnerability to various chronic diseases such as hypertension and pneumonia. Such conditions may cause the appetite of the older population to diminish leading to poor nutrition. Certain theorists have linked the decreasing appetite among the aging population to reduced ability to regulate food intake, altered hormones levels, and changes that occur in the central nervous system that impact on the functioning of neurotransmitters and thus affect how one eats. Studies have also shown that nearly half of the low-income aging individuals in the United States have lost some of their teeth. This causes the problem of chewing and result in malnutrition and poor dieting. Having a boosted appetite is the key to positive dieting pattern. Older adults with good appetite tend to eat a variety of foods that have all the required nutrients.
While many researchers have tried to find ways to control the appetite in adults, its control has been difficult because of the link between the brain and digestive system. The decline in appetite among the older people was first described by John Morley. Studies have shown that up to 30% of the aging experience decline in appetite. The decline in appetite leads to a reduction in food intake and low nutritional levels. Such a situation result in malnutrition among the older adults, increasing the chances of chronic diseases and more deaths. Studies have linked the physiological changes that occur in the aging population as the reason for the impaired appetite because of changes in the hormonal balance and the digestive system.
Conclusion
The older adults require a quality diet and good nutrition to help them manage and control chronic diseases that are associated with aging. With the increasing number of aging population, attention needs to be given to this group by initiating means to improve their health outcome. Proper dieting has been identified as one of the main factors that can help improve the health outcome of the aging population. Proper dieting and nutritious foods are essential for the healthy maintenance of human body and reduction of certain infections. Without a good diet, the older adults will be prone to many infections, and the death rate of this population will be high. However, certain factors impact the dieting patterns of the older individuals. Stable economic conditions, appropriate farm produce delivery plans, stable psychological conditions, good appetite and supportive environmental factors are the contributing factors to quality dieting patterns among the older adults.
References
Lopresti, A. L., Hood, S. D., & Drummond, P. D. (2013). A review of lifestyle factors that contribute to important pathways associated with major depression: diet, sleep and exercise. Journal of affective disorders , 148 (1), 12-27.
Reedy, J., Krebs-Smith, S. M., Miller, P. E., Liese, A. D., Kahle, L. L., Park, Y., & Subar, A. F. (2014). Higher Diet Quality Is Associated with Decreased Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer Mortality among Older Adults1, 2. The Journal of nutrition , 144 (6), 881-889
Quirk, S. E., Williams, L. J., O’Neil, A., Pasco, J. A., Jacka, F. N., Housden, S., ... & Brennan, S. L. (2013). The association between diet quality, dietary patterns and depression in adults: a systematic review. BMC psychiatry , 13 (1), 175.
Cummins, S., Flint, E., & Matthews, S. A. (2014). New neighborhood grocery store increased awareness of food access but did not alter dietary habits or obesity. Health affairs , 33 (2), 283-291.eview. BMC psychiatry , 13 (1), 175.
Lai, J. S., Hiles, S., Bisquera, A., Hure, A. J., McEvoy, M., & Attia, J. (2013). A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and depression in community-dwelling adults–. The American journal of clinical nutrition , 99 (1), 181-197.
Mayén, A. L., Marques-Vidal, P., Paccaud, F., Bovet, P., & Stringhini, S. (2014). Socioeconomic determinants of dietary patterns in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review–. The American journal of clinical nutrition , 100 (6), 1520-1531.
Sun, J., Buys, N. J., & Hills, A. P. (2014). Dietary pattern and its association with the prevalence of obesity, hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors among Chinese older adults. International journal of environmental research and public health , 11 (4), 3956-3971.
