[Nutrition as prevention of illness in the elderly].

In the industrialized countries, nutrition-related diseases are among the most common health problems (not only in the aged, but also in the population as a whole). To date, the risks to health, and thus quality of life, of overnutrition, but in particular of a one-sided diet and malnutrition, have received too little attention in the area of medical care. Individual nutritional counseling together with a detailed identification and elimination of nutritional risks are however capable of improving the health and quality of life of the aged. The following paper provides an overview of strategies aimed at taking greater account of these measures during the provision of medical care.