Between-Meal Snacks: A Good Thing for the Elderly, Often Susceptible to
Weight Loss
Friday, May 25, 2007         0903 PDT
By DESIREE HUNTER, Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --  Jo Spann used to be a steak-and-potatoes,
three-squares-a-day type, but as the years have gone by, the 72-year-old now
finds herself snacking "all the time." A full meal now is usually a
once-a-day event.

Researchers say such snacking is OK - in fact, regular nibbling can be good
for older people.

An Auburn University study of the diets of 2,000 people aged 65 and older
found that snackers ate more calories at a time in their lives when they are
susceptible to weight loss and poor nutrition. Snacking provided
significantly more protein, carbohydrates and fat.

So while snacking might fuel obesity for the young, it may ensure that
seniors are eating enough calories, said Claire Zizza, an assistant
professor of nutrition at Auburn and lead author of the study published in
this month's Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

She said several factors, including health problems, medication and changes
in taste could lead to poor appetite and weight loss in seniors. Compared to
25-year-olds, 70-year-old men ate 1,000 to 1,200 fewer calories; the decline
for women was between 600 to 800 calories a day, according to the study.

Zizza's research, based on a federal nutrition survey from 1999-2002, found
that snackers ate about 250 more calories than non-snackers.

Jean Lloyd, national nutritionist for the U.S. Administration on Aging, said
the study "does a couple of real important things" by indicating that
healthy eating can be reached various ways and by providing guidance to
health professionals.

"You're not always sure in clinical practice how to handle a patient with
decreased appetite who may have other health problems. You don't know if you
should tell them to eat something small after lunch because maybe then they
won't be hungry later and won't eat dinner," Lloyd said.

"The answer in this article says, 'No, that's good,'" she said. "...You can
suggest with confidence that having a small snack midmorning or midafternoon
is a good behavior."

Lloyd and Zizza both caution against chips, cakes, cookies and other "empty
snacks." The snacks should be healthy to have the biggest benefit, Zizza
said.

Lynelle Bumgardner, who directs the Daleville Senior Center in southeast
Alabama, said a hot lunch is served there 5 days a week. She often sees
patrons eating cookies, crackers and fruit before and after the noontime
meal, which is provided using federal Meals on Wheels money and contains 1/3
of the USDA's recommended dietary allowances.

Some of the seniors save the bread, cookies or juice from their lunches to
eat later and load up on the snacks offered by the center to take home and
share with elderly spouses, Bumgardner said.

"I think for some of them, cooking for 1 is too much trouble and they'd
rather just have a TV dinner or go out to eat and sometimes that's not
nutritious," she said. "That's why I think the lunch meal is so important.
For some of them, this is it for the day."

Spann, a Daleville resident, agrees. She usually finds 1 square meal a day
sufficient - along with the snacks.

"I used to eat 3 big meals a day and some more in between," she said in a
recent phone interview during a lull between bingo games at the senior
center. "I'm a Yankee - I still love my potatoes. I used to like meat, but
your taste buds change as you get older."