Your "Health Age" Debunked

Medical Conditions Worsen over Time Among a Population

Mar 29, 2009

Notable differences in nutrition between younger and retired populations may not be so obvious, and your "health age" may have something to do with it.

A vast majority of the American population above the age of 65 are experiencing health complications that were practically non-existent decades ago. The numbers for anxiety, fatigue, and depression are spreading like wildfire among older populations; the symptoms and problems associated with patients above 65 are credited for being more severe than those of people 60 and under.

There is a remarkable variation among health and fitness levels in the general population, but the greatest discrepancies are inevitably age-related.

Obesity, Nutrition, and Your “Health Age”

Obesity in the US is increasing everyday, and malnourishment is common among the elderly, even in light of the food industry that has been booming ever since WWII. A notable percentage of adults in care centers and clinics could just be malnourished, in contrast to theories that suggest aging is solely responsible for the elders’ health conditions.

Nutritional groups and health advocacy centers need to be established quickly in order to match the number of cases related to undernourishment in people 60 years and older.

Retired persons and patients on disability tend to have a lower nutrient intake than the rest of the population, and statistics have revealed that mineral and vitamin consumption are below the approximated average daily requirements. In essence however, a sufficient amount of energy intake data (in kilocalories) may be needed to correctly measure the nutrient intake of any given population.

The problem here lies in the fact that older people don't eat high-nutrient foods in amounts enough to balance the loss of calorie consumption associated with aging (Weindruch, 1997). Younger eaters can usually make up for this loss by eating fast foods that just happen to contain healthy ingredients that accompany unhealthy material.

This is just one more reason why senior homes and rehab facilities should try to capitalize on the recommended dietary intake guidelines.

Of importance is the fact that nutritional requirements vary with age. Lean muscle physique and tissue build retracts in size after years and years of repeated use—the basal metabolic rate (BMR) starts to diminish at a relatively fast rate as one nears retirement. Older groups try to remain active throughout the day on average, and they tend to hold on to good appetite if their body allows for it.

You “Health Age” Increases Over Time

Older populations have reported that they sometimes need to force themselves to eat, regardless of whether they have the urge to do so. Younger generations tend to have a larger appetite counteracted by a high rate of metabolism.

Malnutrition and improper metabolism have devastating consequences on an aging person’s health. Nevertheless, reduced immune responses, impaired healing ability, and increased hospital stays are among the biological signs that are not so much recognized in geriatric communities as are muscle fatigue, depression, and declining strength.

Malnutrition is more of a red light in older people’s households because it makes them more susceptible to impending diseases. Hospital admissions also increase as a result.

Aging perspectives that may seem obvious but somehow escape the public eye abound in the midst of baby boomer populations. Such is the notion that a person’s brain will weigh approximately 10% of what it weighed between 20 and 30 years of age once he or she reaches 90.

A retiree’s respiratory and breathing function can recede to as little as 50% of the normal lung capabilities of that of a teenager, regardless of whether the former has a long-term history of exposure to chemicals from a previous occupation, chronic smoking, or an innate medical condition that has already undergone a significant amount of treatment.

"Malnutrition." AARP Health Illustrated Encyclopedia. Accessed March 29, 2009.

Novelli, William D. "First View of Aging." Joint Conference of NCOA and ASA. AARP. April 4.2002

Weindruch, Richard, and Rajindar S. Sohal. "Caloric Intake and Aging." The New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 337:986-994, Number 14.1997

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