Nutrition in Adolescents & Elderly Flashcards
When is total amount of nutrition intake the highest?
- adolescence; nutrition
need increases due to rapid growth - iron is important
- increased need for calcium and zinc
What vitamin are kids aged 9-18 lacking?
Vitamin A
Girls aged 14-18 had a low intake of…?
Folate, vitamin B6 and B12
12% of adolescent girls lack….?
Iron
70% of girls (9-13) and 30% of boys (14-18) lack….?
Calcium
15% of girls (9-13) and 20% of girls aged 14-18 lack…?
Zinc
WFPB or whole food, plant based?
- becoming popular in recognition that all vegetarian/vegan diets are not optimal if they contain highly processed foods
What visible symptom might indicate poor diet?
Brittle nails
Milk consumption in adolescence?
- low in adolescents
- female might choose calories-free soft drinks
- calcium can be obtained from other sources of foods other than dairy
Correlation b/w soft drinks and bone mass
- soft drinks linked to lower bone mass
What trends occur in total bone mass over the lifespan?
- increases in growing children
- in puberty, increases more in males
- peaks at about age 35
- men achieve a higher peak
- bone loss after 35
- in women, loss is accelerated for about 5 years after menopause
Eating disorders in teens?
- commonly diagnosed in adolescence but factors contributing to them may begin much earlier
Teenage pregnancy and nutrition?
- impact nutritional needs, nutrients are required for the growth of the baby and the teen
Smoking in teens?
- causes chronic diseases later in life
- increases need for vitamin C due to oxidative stress from from tobacco use
Alcohol consumption in teens?
- possibly due to peer pressure
- alters absorption and metabolism of nutrients
- replaces calories from nutritious foods
- also linked to breast cancer
Fetal marijuana exposure…
Stunts cognitive performance
What is aging?
- process throughout life
- inevitable accumulation of changes with time that are associated with and responsible for an ever-increasing susceptibility to disease and death
What is life expectancy determined by?
- combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors
How to increase longevity of life?
- calorie restriction
- only proven method
Okinawans of Japan life expectancy and diet?
- longest LE in the world
- nutrient dense diet
- low calorie
- also move naturally, strong social network
Calorie Restriction and CALERIE Study
- Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy
- thought to reduce oxidative damage generated through metabolic processes, leads to less cellular damage and therefore slower aging
Phase 1 of CALERIE study?
- lower insulin levels, lower body temperature, and less DNA damage
- changes in cortisol and IGF have not been duplicated in humans
Life expectancy in Canada? How many years are lived disease free
- 78 years
- only 69 years are lived disease and disability free
What is compression of morbidity?
- delaying of onset of symptoms of diseases, so they take up less of later life
- promotion of more years disability-free
- would increase health of the aging population
- spare the health care system
- goal is to maintain QoL
Nutrient requirements that increase in older adults?
- vitamin D
- vitamin B6
- calcium
- magnesium
- bone reabsorption occurs at greater levels
- vitamin D doesn’t convert well in the skin at an older age
Why is there a risk of malnutrition in elderly?
- decreased immune function leads to illness
- leads to increased medication use
- decreases nutrition intake although there is increased need
- decreased muscle mass also causes decreased accessibility of food
- above 60 there is sensory decline
- also a decrease in amount of saliva
How is sensory decline a factor of malnutrition? How might it be prevented?
- decrease in visual acuity make shopping and food preparation more difficult
- consumption of antioxidant-rich foods in adulthood slows the progression of these disorders or prevents them
How are gastrointestinal changes a factor of malnutrition?
- tastebuds and saliva amount changes, prevents taste
- stomachs empty slower, allowing older adults to feel full longer so they may not wish to eat
- 10-30% of adults over 50 have ATROPHIC GASTRITIS, the incidence can be as high as 40% in those over 80
- causes B12 deficiency
- decreased motility and elasticity of the large intestine, along with low fibre and liquid intake, can result in constipation
What shifts in body composition occur in old age?
- shifts to a greater percentage of fat and less muscle
- decreased strength and endurance, affecting mobility and balance
- exercise can help to maintain muscle mass
Estrogen and progesterone and aging?
- decline in older women
- cause changes in body composition, which increases risk of CVD to similar levels in men
Growth hormone and aging?
- reduced levels cause declining protein synthesis
- regular exercise can improve this
Melatonin and aging?
- lower levels
- involved in sleep cycle and is an antioxidant
- supplements may enhance immune and brain function in aging
Insulin and aging?
- pancreas decreases its secretion of insulin
- tissue may be less sensitive to insulin and its BG lowering effects
- increased risk for T2DM
- exercise improves insulin sensitivity and increases glucose disposal
What might be considered the greatest nutritional challenge with older adults?
- elderly have decreased caloric need BUT constant or increased need for vitamins and minerals
- malnutrition
How does immune function change with aging? How does this affect nutrition?
- decline in immune function
- sickness limits nutrient intake and absorption, which affects body’s ability to mount an immune response
How can mental impairment affect nutrition?
- decline can affect ability to acquire and prepare food
- physical activity and mental exercise can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia
- evidence for MIND diet
What is the MIND diet?
Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay
How can drugs affect nutrition?
- more meds being used in older adults
- many drugs can cause deficiencies in certain nutrients
- increases risk for malnutrition
What socioeconomic and psychological factors can also impact nutrition?
- seniors often on a fixed income
- increased risk for depression
- mobility issues
Why is exercise important for older adults?
- prevents illness, maintains independence and muscle mass
- weight-bearing exercise causes bone and muscle growth
What is not a weight-bearing exercise?
Swimming
What recommendations can be made to seniors to improve nutrition and health?
- encourage canned, frozen, or bulk foods
- address issues affecting ability to cook food
- consult HCP about possible interactions with medications
- use money on food, not supplements
- encourage social interaction via exercise groups
- tai chi and yoga to increase balance
