late adulthood

• as we age, our muscle mass decreases and it can become more difficult to do physical exercise - elderly adults can gain body fat if their diet doesnt change
• elderly adults need to take great care with their energy intake - cutting down on excess saturated fats will help avoid health risks like coronary heart disease
• the senses of taste and smell change, which can affect the enjoyment of food, recipes and meals need to be adapted to make them appealing and interesting
• elderly adults have similar nutritional requirements to younger adults
• they must make sure they get enough:

  • calcium to stop bones becoming weak and brittle and sources include milk, yoghurt, kale and sardines
  • vitamin d to reduce the risk of developing bone diseases and sources include tuna, salmon and mackerel
  • vitamin b12 to keep the brain healthy and prevent memory loss and sources include milk, fish, beef
  • fibre is to help prevent constipation as the digestive system begins to weaken and sources include lentils and wholemeal bread
  • vitamin a is used to help maintain good eyesight and sources include liver and scrambled eggs
• vitamin supplements are useful if your diet doesnt contain enough eg less active elderly adults may not get enough vitamin d from sunlight, so may benefit from vitamin d tablets