ABSTRACT
The older age groups comprise an increasing proportion of the population. The large cohort of “baby boomers,” individuals born between 1946 and 1964, are now on the threshold of entering the older age groups, and they bring unique characteristics and lifestyle patterns to their older years when compared with those of preceding generations. Knowledge of the nutritional requirements of older adults in general has been notably limited, and the levels for the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) in even the most recent edition5 are based on an age division at 51 years as a rather arbitrary point to distinguish older from younger adults. Aging is associated with distinct changes in body composition, some of which may be modified by activity and exercise patterns in the older adult. A reduction in the amount of skeletal muscle is the major determinant of reduced lean body mass, which has also been observed in association with aging.
