COMMENT:

Getting a good and complex and varied diet, even in these days of
prepackaged freezer to microwave stuff, takes a certain amount of
high-level cognitive ability.

It is precisely for these reasons that I cringe everytime I see some
epidemiologic study that shows that demented people, or even people
soon-to-become demented, have lower levels of this or that vitamin or
vitamin-influenced gunk. It's very hard to tell which is chicken and
which is egg. In any case, there's no doubt at all that some of the
first signs of dementia (as with depression) are failures in complex
self-care behavior.

As for simple weight loss per se- it's an ominous sign in the elderly
all right, but think occult cancer or depression first before you think
of the "zebra" of early dementia. Also, since women are the "feeders,"
if you see an elderly man losing weight, have a look at the health of
his spouse.

SBH