Abbott Global

Stay Nourished At Any Age

As a parent, you have taken great pains to ensure that your children are well nourished, giving them a good start to nutritional health. And as you care for the nutritional needs of your child, you should not neglect your own or that of your parents.

Nutrition and a healthy lifestyle play an important role in preserving health and wellbeing. Poor lifestyle habits such as smoking, lack of exercise and inadequate diets have a cumulative effect as we age. A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the risk of chronic disease and also contributes to an older person's ability to recover from illness. Undernutrition is associated with increased mortality, increased susceptibility to infection and reduced quality of life¹.

Seniors are at greater risk of undernutrition as their digestive systems are not as efficient in absorbing nutrients². They may also have problems chewing food in the later years. Those who have preferences for some foods and not others are also at risk of missing out on essential nutrients.

Nutrient deficiencies can give rise to a whole plethora of consequences ranging from loss of muscle mass, weakness, lethargy, depression, impaired immune response to poor wound healing. Deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc may further reduce the appetite and taste sensation².

It is important for seniors to adopt a complete and balanced diet and lifestyle practices that prevent and manage chronic conditions, thereby strengthening the immune system and thus maximising their chances for successful aging³. However, regardless of age, maintaining a balanced diet is often a challenge. Including a daily nutritional supplement such as Ensure^® Life can be useful in meeting recommended intake levels.

The right lifestyle choices made early in life can affect the health status of one's later years. It is never too early nor late to take stock and ensure that you are getting the essential nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and active.

Stay nourished for good health!