We Are What We Eat

We hear so much about obesity now that the emphasis seems to be on over-eating rather than malnourishment.  For two months, programmes such as Operation Transformation have been on our television screens and our radio and various advertisements promising permanent weight loss start on January 1st and run for months. With increasing concern about growing obesity in children and the health implications of the same, means that many of us are becoming more conscious about what we eat.
It was with some surprise then, that I read that over one million people aged over 64 are malnourished in the UK.  Good nutrition is essential for good health and resistance to illness and disease. Insufficient nutrition means people are more susceptible to illness and generally suffer poor health. Good nutrition means that wounds heal more quickly, people recover more quickly from any illnesses, they are more immune to diseases and are healthier. Apparently our nutritional requirements change as we become older and more research is needed in this area. The researchers need to know how the messages between the gut and the brain change as we get older.  They know we feel ‘fuller for longer’ as we age, that nutrients are absorbed more slowly, and that people’s sense of taste can diminish. Hence, nutrition is not just of utmost importance for growing children and teenagers; it is not to be taken lightly once we are over 65 too.
Many of us just focus on weight loss. Do you pay extra attention to your own diet beyond ensuring you aren’t eating too many calories?