Nutrition can extend active healthy life
The Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Commission’s in house science service, published a report highlighting the importance of diet and nutrition in increasing active healthy life , and promoting Active and Healthy Ageing (AHA).
AHA focusses on under-nutrition in the elderly as:
- a cause of functional decline
- a consequence of functional decline
while highlighting the main research gaps.
The European population is ageing and the proportion of people older than 65 is increasing from 17.4% to nearly 30% by 2060.
People over 80 years and older will triple during the same period. Supporting AHA is critical to improving the quality of life in the elderly, to ensure individuals can continue being active.
By ‘healthy’ they refer to physical, mental and social well-being and ‘active’ as the continuation of participation in civic, cultural, economic, physically active, social and spiritual affairs.
Determinants for active and healthy ageing
By critically examining the contribution of diet and nutrition in AHA, and its importance in the ageing process, several determinants of AHA were identified. The determinants of AHA consist of economic, social and behavioural factors.
Economic factors include income, social and work protection, with people on low incomes being at higher risk of illnesses and disabilities. This is because nutritious foods, health care and housing are less affordable and accessible to people with limited financial means. The health and social service system in a country also plays a major role in healthy ageing and should put special effort into health promotion and disease prevention, e.g. via vaccination programmes or regular screening for malnutrition and frailty. Physical and social environments also influence ageing. Cities, communities and neighbourhoods could adapt their structures and services to older people with varying needs and capacities. Social support and social interaction can also greatly affect the elderly’s health and well-being. Behavioural factors play a crucial role in AHA. Adopting positive lifestyle behaviours throughout life is crucial, which include:
- a well-balanced diet,
- engaging in physical activity,
- avoiding smoking,
- avoiding excessive alcohol consumption
- appropriate use of medications.
Under-nutrition and functional decline
Undernutrition is also a major issue amongst the elderly. In the European Union more than 20 million older people are at risk of being malnourished, costing European health and social care systems about 120 billion euros per year..… more
