{"id":5473,"date":"2019-12-16T11:14:21","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T10:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nutrisens.com\/vitalites\/malnutrition-eating-habits-are-revealing\/"},"modified":"2024-03-05T15:18:06","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T14:18:06","slug":"malnutrition-eating-habits-are-revealing","status":"publish","type":"vitalites","link":"https:\/\/www.nutrisens.com\/en\/vitalites\/malnutrition-eating-habits-are-revealing\/","title":{"rendered":"Malnutrition: eating habits are revealing"},"content":{"rendered":"

A SUITABLE DIET<\/strong><\/p>\n

A small appetite, only eating two meals, avoiding protein and losing interest in eating are an indication of risk.<\/em><\/p>\n

Can an analysis of eating habits help assess the risk of malnutrition<\/a><\/strong> in elderly people? That\u2019s what French scientists wanted to find out when they surveyed 605 <\/strong>elderly <\/a>\u00a0home-dwellers <\/strong>in France. They published the results in BMJ Open.<\/p>\n

What is a pureed meal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A pureed consistency is smooth with no lumps. All components of a meal \u2013 meat, fish, vegetable and fruit \u2013 can be pureed. Once the main ingredient has been pureed, cream, egg, mashed potato or a gelling agent can be added. A whole meal of suitable consistency can be presented in a pureed form.<\/p>\n

Good food hygiene practices should be strictly followed. Chefs should receive adequate training in the rules and techniques required. These meals should be served as part of an overall nutritional programme designed to fulfil the special needs of elderly persons.<\/p>\n

Given these constraints, some residential homes prefer to source meals from nutrition specialists.<\/p>\n

Meals, snacks, pleasure in eating, fridge contents… everything counts<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To analyse eating habits <\/strong>in the elderly, the research covered 605 users of a meals-on-wheels service. Carers filled in a questionnaire<\/strong> on three non-consecutive days in a week. The survey covered socio-demographic and economic data, refrigerator contents, the three main meals in the day, snacks and\/or any aperitifs. Meal times, how they were taken and preferences were all noted. The hypothesis was that eating habits<\/strong> depended on pleasure in eating<\/strong>, place of residence<\/strong> and degree of autonomy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A small appetite reveals the highest risk of malnutrition<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The average age of subjects was 85, of whom 70% live in urban areas and 42.6% have a monthly income of 1000\u20132000 euros. Over half of the sample (59%) eat out of habit; only 33.7% eat out of pleasure.<\/p>\n

1st finding:<\/strong>\u00a0The consistency of breakfast, the pleasure in eating and living in the countryside all pointed to a larger intake of food for the rest of the day.<\/p>\n

Researchers determined four profiles<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1- 10.3% eat little<\/strong> at all meals. They are all eligible for an attendance allowance. Recommended protein and carbohydrate intake is only covered every other meal.\u00a0They are at most risk of malnutrition.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

2- 34.4% have a hot drink at breakfast time and with snacks but eat little at mealtimes, especially very little fruit. They have two light meals each day (breakfast and dinner) and avoid proteins; they are at a moderate risk of malnutrition<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

3- 27.6% eat sufficiently at all meals, including fruit, vegetables and proteins. But they consume very few cold drinks. Their intake meets nutritional recommendations.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4- 27.7% eat a lot of different foods. Their diet is the most copious and varied, including fruit, vegetables and dairy products. They present the lowest risk of malnutrition and are the least dependent group. They are the \u201cideal\u201d profile.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

2nd finding:<\/strong> The refrigerators of Groups 3 and 4 contained the most sources of protein, such as yoghurt, meat and cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche. All the same, those at risk of malnutrition also have sources of protein in their fridges, but they do not eat them.<\/p>\n

Key points\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Meal quality greatly affects the level of satisfaction for residents and their families. The meals served should take account of tastes, habits and constraints. However, catering for individual tastes can be problematic for many establishments.<\/p>\n