Factors influencing older people's food choices

The older peoples' food choices may be influenced by a number of Physiological, Psychological, Social and Economic factors. Lets look at some of these factors and why they affect the elderly food choices.

Physiological factors:

People who choose food because of physiological factors are usually because of:

Hunger, Appetite or Satiety: Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need food. Appetite is the desire to eat, even when you're not hungry. Your senses, sight, smell and taste play a significant role in stimulating appetite. Satiety refers to satisfying your hunger or appetite. It can be described as a pleasant feeling of contentment after eating. The satiety is a matter of personal experience. So an older person might make a food choice based on if they're hungry, if they feel like something in particular (appetite), and if they're satisfied with their food selection then they're going to continue to buy that product.

"Old age (?)" - Unknown Painter from the Low Count...

Peter Wessels Old Age Home (Community Reached Out)

Peter Wessels Old Age Home (Community Reached Out)

Nutritional requirements: These are the types and amount of nutrient needed for good health. Not everyone has the same nutritional requirements; they vary according to four main reasons, which are age, size, gender and activity level. As people have different nutritional requirements, their food choices should be different. Elderly people generally need less energy from their food than that of a teenage or adult. This is due to a fall in Basal Metabolism, which is the amount of energy used when resting. So basically as you get older sleeping and resting become more of a daily routine rather then when your 12 and play sport all the time. Other factors affecting energy requirement of elderly people are e decline in physical activity and changes in body composition. So older people don't have to have as much energy as adolescence because their not always playing sport where...