Question

Please respond to the following discussion prompts. 1. Describe some of the diet and health connections between a child and a senior citizen? Provide examples.

Answer 1

Ans) There is no doubt as to whether our bodies change with age. This in turn means thatseniors tend to have distinct nutritional requirements than the teenagers, children and middle-aged adults.

- Age-related changes often affect how the body processes food, which in turn affects the dietaryneeds and appetite. The changes occurring include: The muscle mass begins to shrink, a decline which usually begins in the early 30s, andthere is slowing down of metabolism.

- This naturally occurs, but becomes more pronouncedwhenever one does not get the required degree of appetite. When metabolism slows down, thebody does not burn as many calories as it would burn in childhood, meaning senior citizens needto eat less in order to maintain a healthy weight. The nutrient needs may stay the same, or even increase. The digestive system of thesenior citizens changes.

- The body produces less fluids needed to process food. Thus, seniorshave trouble with nutrient absorption, like vitamin B12 and Magnesium.