Weight loss treatment in long-term care:are outcomes improved with oral supplements and appetite stimulants?

Unintentional weight loss is a common problem that leads to adverse health outcomes in the long-term care setting. Although depression and adverse drug reactions are the commonest causes, weight loss is multi-factorial and often does not resolve just with a single intervention. Several strategies such as diet modification, addition of flavor enhancers, nutritional supplements and appetite stimulants are commonly used for unintentional weight loss. We present here a review of studies examining the role of such strategies in the treatment of unintentional weight loss.