ABSTRACT
Despite an earlier increase in body weight, older persons experience a loss in both lean body mass and bone mass by the seventh decade. The loss of lean tissue, with the accompanied
rise in the proportion of body fat, is mirrored by a decline in physical and metabolic output. The term
anorexia of aging
was coined to reflect the poor appetite and decreased appreciation of food commonly seen in older persons. Weight loss, however, can also be due to difficulties with food ingestion, intestinal absorption, or nutrient metabolism.
