PENSIONERS: A GROWING NUTRITION CRISIS
HOW MORE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE FAILING TO EAT THEIR FIVE-A-DAY
THE PROPORTION of pensioners who eat their five-a-day has plummeted more than in any other age group in recent years, new figures show.
Data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey reveals that fewer than a third of pensioners aged 65-74 ate at least five pieces of fruit and veg a day in 2015/16.
That is down from the 44 per cent of people in the same age range who did so in 2009/10.
Pensioners aged 75 years and over also saw a significant decrease in the proportion managing to eat their fivea-day. In 2009/10, more than a quarter (26 per cent) did so. That fell to just 19 per cent in 2015/16. While the decline in people getting enough fruit and veg has been most dramatic in older age groups, children are still the least likely overall to do so.
Just eight per cent of 11- to 18-yearolds got their five a day in 2015/16, down from 10 per cent six years earlier.
Adults aged between 19 and 64 are the only age group that have increased the amount of fruit and veg they eat.
In 2009/10 only 29 per cent got their five-a-day, but that figure rose to 31 per cent in 2015/16.
People who eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit are less likely to develop heart disease and certain cancers due to the important range of vitamins, minerals and fibre they contain.
Five pieces is roughly the same as 400g. That could be broken down into one glass of fruit juice, one tomato, three tablespoons of peas, one banana, and one apple.
Nadia Klam, senior health influencing manager for Age UK, said: “It’s as important to make sure you’re getting your five-a-day whether you’re in your 20s or 80s, but potentially even more so as we age.
“As we age, our appetites can decrease for a number of reasons.
“We may be eating less if we are less interested in food, especially when we are feeling down. “Cooking and shopping can be more of an effort and having to manage on a tight budget can make it more difficult to get enough food. It’s important to realise too that weight loss in later life is not a normal part of ageing. “The good news is it’s never too late to start eating healthily, and a healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring or expensive. However if you do only feel like eating a little then it’s even more important that what you eat is nourishing.”