Nutrition and older people: a matter of concern.

The government sets as one of its targets in Health of the Nation the need to enable more people to live not only longer but also well. This depends to a large extent on good nutrition, which is integral to the overall health, independence and quality of life of older people. However, when considering older people it is important to remember that they are a heterogenous group reaching different stages of ageing at different ages. Why this should be is unknown, but it means that chronological age is not indicative of either health or nutritional needs, both of which may vary considerably. There are, however, common factors that are known to predispose older people to nutritional deficiency.