Anorexia of Aging

The reduction of appetite and food intake in late life is one of the most common conditions that characterize the aging process. Anorexia of aging is the term coined to define this phenomenon. Anorexia of aging may have detrimental effects on health status and is associated with poorer quality of life, reduced ability to cope with environmental stressors, increased morbidity (and reduced ability to recover from illnesses), and greater risk of dying from any causes. Anorexia of aging has multiple causes, including health problems associated with aging (oral/dental issues, gastrointestinal problems), acute or chronic diseases, socioeconomical circumstances (living alone, poverty), psychological factors (depression), and use of multiple medicaments (Landi et al. 2016). Routine and comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional status is necessary to identify older persons at risk of developing anorexia at early stages, when intervention may have more chances of success. Interventions targeting multiple causal factors and tailored to the single person’s needs are vital to prevent and/or treat anorexia of aging.