Healthy ageing
and clinical nutrition

Between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over the age of 60 will double, from  605 million to 2 billion.  With this growth of the ageing population comes a rising demand for solutions to age-related health problems.

Ageing is associated with the increase of chronic disease, malnutrition, and sarcopenia–the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass. Finding solutions to these problems presents a challenge, but it is also an exciting opportunity to develop products and services that help older people to stay active and remain independent.

Healthy ageing doesn’t start with advanced age; it begins much earlier. Research shows that we should start taking care of our bodies and health as early as possible. How well we age depends on many factors, including the foods we eat, how physically active we are, and our exposure to health risks.

Numerous studies show that a balanced nutrition and an appropriate program of physical activity can improve body function and, particularly, maintain muscle mass, which is key to preventing sarcopenia and preserving quality of life.

A balanced nutrition must also take into account that seniors tend to have smaller appetites yet need a higher protein or micro-nutrient intake than younger people due to physiological changes.