Nutritional status of the elderly. II. Anthropometry, dietary and biochemical data of old pensioners in Perugia at the fifth year follow-up.

206 aged pensioners of the city of Perugia have been examined in a longitudinal study, with emphasis on body composition, diet, life habits and clinical-biochemical data. From the anthropometric data of the individuals examined in 1981 it is evident that both in men and women obesity is common especially among the women. The opposite is true for the arm muscle area. Comparing the same men examined in 1976 and 1981 body fatness decreased in the five years interval. Food and nutrient intakes are rather similar in the 1976 and 1981 surveys. Consumption of milk, eggs, fish and legumes is not high. The men, but not the women, tended to a high consumption of meat and alcoholic beverages. The intake in 1981 of thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin A seems in general to be inadequate according to our recommended values. The biochemical data show practically no difference in the two surveys. Serum cholesterol continued to be rather high for an Italian population.