Federal Study: Nutritional Guidelines Needed for Older Adults

A study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says federal guidelines would help states better address nutritional needs of older adults, reports the News Tribune . The report found most older adults have chronic health conditions, like diabetes or heart disease. "As older adults age, they may also face barriers, such as a reduced appetite, impairing their ability to meet their nutritional needs," the study noted. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) should thus devise a plan for updating its nutritional guidelines to focus specifically on the senior population. The GAO cited a study by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which found physiological changes related to aging — like decreased metabolism and less muscle mass and nutrient absorption — make meeting nutritional needs difficult. Age-related physical impairments, as well as medications, also may affect older adults' food preparation and nutrient consumption. The GAO study recommended DHHS update its Dietary Guidelines to focus on older adults' needs, and detect current information gaps on those needs; improved meal supervision for adult day-care communities; centralized data on promising strategies for making meal accommodations for nutritional meal programs; and, finally, better dissemination of information to help state and local entities involved in providing Child and Adult Care Food Program meals meet nutritional needs of older adults.