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Jo Spann used to be a steak-and-potatoes,
three-squares-a-day type, but as the years have gone by, the 72-year-old
from Daleville, AL, now finds herself snacking ``all the time'' while
usually eating just one large meal each day.
Researchers say such snacking is OK - in fact,
regularly nibbling between meals can be quite good for seniors.
An Auburn University study that
compared the diets of 2,002 adults aged 65 years and older found that
snacking provides significantly higher amounts of energy, protein,
carbohydrate and total fat, potentially vital boosters during years when
the daily intake of calories is often in decline.
So while snacking could lead to obesity in younger
age groups, it could ensure that seniors are consuming enough calories,
said Claire Zizza, an assistant professor of nutrition at Auburn and
lead author of the study, which is published in this month's Journal of
the American Dietetic Association.
She said several factors, including health
problems, medication and changes in taste could lead to diminished
appetites and unintentional weight loss in seniors. When compared to
25-year-olds, 70-year-old men ate 1,000 to 1,200 fewer calories and the
decline for women was between 600 to 800 calories per day, according to
the study.
But it found that 84 percent of the adults averaged
2.5 daily snacks and that snackers consumed about 250 more calories than
non-snackers - 1,717.9 calories to non-snackers' 1,466 calories. Jean
Lloyd, national nutritionist for the U.S. Administration on Aging, said
the study “does a couple of real important things” by indicating that
healthy eating can be reached through various paths and providing
guidance to health professionals.
“You're not always sure in clinical practice how to
handle a patient with decreased appetite who may have other health
problems. You don't know if you should tell them to eat something small
after lunch because maybe then they won't be hungry later and won't eat
dinner,” Lloyd said.
“The answer in this article says, No, that's good,”
she said. ”If you're a clinician or dietitian you can suggest with
confidence that having a small snack mid-morning or mid-afternoon is a
good behavior.”
Lloyd and Zizza both caution against using the
findings to justify chips, cakes, cookies and other “empty snacks.” The
snacks should be healthy to have the biggest benefit, Zizza said.
The study, which Zizza conducted along with Auburn graduate assistant Francis Tayie and Mark Lino of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, used data from the National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.
Their study found that snackers were more likely to
be white and have a higher income, but more research should be done on
any race and ethnic factors, the authors said. Alcohol intakes were not
different between snackers and non-snackers. Lynelle Bumgardner, who
directs the Daleville Senior Center in southeast Alabama, said a hot lunch is served there
five days a week. She often sees patrons eating cookies, crackers and
fruit before and after the noontime meal, which is provided using
federal Meals on Wheels money and contains one-third of the agriculture
department's recommended dietary allowances.
Some even purposely save the bread, cookies or
juice from their lunches to eat later and load up on the snacks offered
by the center to take home and share with elderly spouses, Bumgardner
said.
“I think for some of them, cooking for one is too
much trouble and they'd rather just have a TV dinner or go out to eat
and sometimes that's not nutritious,” she said. “That's why I think the
lunch meal is so important. For some of them, this is it for the day.”
Spann is in agreement. She usually finds one square
meal a day sufficient - along with snacks.
“I used to eat three big meals a day and some more
in between,” she said in a recent phone interview during a lull between
bingo games at the Daleville Senior Center.
“I'm a Yankee - I still love my potatoes. I used to like meat, but your
taste buds change as you get older.”
Lee Sanders, who coordinates a state program that
provides Alabama seniors with
low-cost medication, said wellness classes were added in January to help
the state's 364 senior centers offer everything from nutrition tips to
exercise ideas.
Seniors are already advised to use drink
supplements to help boost their caloric intake and snacking will be
added to the list, he said.
“You never get to an age where you can't eat better
and thus feel better,” he
said. “That's the tip of today's wellness message - healthier eating for
a healthier lifestyle.”
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