Why do elderly people often lose their appetite?

The decline in various body functions in the elderly also causes their appetite to decrease. Unfortunately they are also often difficult to be told to eat so that the elderly are prone to malnutrition.

The cause of the elderly to lose their appetite

The causes of malnutrition or malnutrition in elderly people are multifactorial. One of the triggering factors is psycho-cognitive or disturbances in the brain, decreased taste buds, decreased saliva production, lost teeth, shrinking gums and excessive stretching of the stomach wall reflex. These factors will reduce the ability to distinguish between smells and tastes, cause problems in chewing and there is a tendency to quickly feel full. As a result, food intake will decrease.

1. Various health problems in old age

Decreased taste buds will make parents lose their appetite or appetite, so that in the end they are lazy to eat or eat (too) little. The condition of their teeth that begin to wobble or have dated also makes them unable to chew food that is relatively hard or tough. The digestive condition of the elderly usually begins to have problems, because the intestinal and stomach function has weakened.

2. Food does not match

Loss of appetite can also come from a lack of attention or care from those around them (children, nurses, helpers). They may not care whether the food provided is suitable or not with the taste or condition of the teeth and digestion of the parents.

Maybe the food is too sweet, too hard, or too spicy, so that the parents can't eat enough. Or it could be just because they don't like to eat alone at home while the children and grandchildren are busy with their own business outside the home.

But because they don't want to bother the child or the person who cares for him, usually the parents don't want to complain and keep the problem to themselves. The family's mediocre economic conditions also contribute a lot to the incidence of malnutrition in elderly parents.

The danger is if the elderly are malnourished

The significant decrease in motor activity also makes parents less thirsty. Even many elderly people with Alzheimer's lose the ability to feel thirsty. If this condition is neglected for a long time, don't be surprised if your parents are diagnosed with dehydration.

Lack of fiber will also cause many parents to suffer from constipation (difficulty defecating). If it continues, this difficult condition can lead to hemorrhoids or even colon cancer. Meanwhile, if calcium deficiency, osteoporosis will more easily attack their bones.

A diet that is too strict also has a high risk of making parents malnourished. Moreover, usually parents like to be excessive in applying dietary rules and taboos from doctors. For example, if doctors recommend reducing salt intake, they will stop eating salt altogether. Even if the body lacks salt (sodium), people can suddenly faint and even go into a coma.

What to do when the elderly lose their appetite?

In addition to regularly consulting a doctor to deal with the diseases your parents suffer from, it's a good idea to consult a nutritionist to improve their nutritional status so that they can live the rest of their lives in a healthy and quality manner.

In addition, if you see your normally active parents showing behavioral changes, such as being lazy to do anything, being passive, or becoming fussy for no reason, don't just get emotional or just complain. Try to find out what's behind it, including from its daily nutritional conditions.

To work around this, the type of food and the time must be adjusted accordingly. Unlike most people in general, with a breakfast, lunch and dinner pattern, the elderly can eat whenever they are hungry.

The food given should be soft, contain lots of fiber, contain complex carbohydrates, high protein and fat so you don't get weak easily. The amount of food intake also does not need as much as adults because people over 60 years of age have experienced a decrease in body function. Likewise with the need for fluids. If normal people need fluids up to 70 percent, the elderly only need about 40 percent.

Basically, giving vitamins to the elderly is not prohibited as long as other nutritional needs are sufficient. If the intake of carbohydrates, protein and fat is not enough, any vitamin will not be beneficial to the body.

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