Older People Living in the Community - Nutritional Needs, Barriers and Interventions: a Literature Review

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Body composition - proportions of fat, muscle and fluid

Body mass index - index of weight in relation to height (weight (kg)/height (m 2))

Cognitive ability - ability to process information

Dietary intake - nutrient intake from food alone

Dietary intervention - intervention which increases nutrient intake by the use of food

Functional status/ability - ability to perform activities of daily living

Macronutrient - fat, protein and carbohydrate

Malnutrition - an umbrella term which includes undernutrition, overnutrition and an imbalance of nutrients

Micronutrient - vitamin or mineral needed in small amounts for normal body function

Nutrient density - the amount of nutrients in relation to the energy content of food or diet

Nutritional screening - method of identifying people who are undernourished or at risk of becoming undernourished

Nutritional intake - intake of nutrients from all sources including food and supplements

Nutritional intervention - intervention to increase intake by the use of food and supplements combined

Nutritional supplement - addition to the diet which provides extra nutrients - in the context of this review it refers to supplements which contain macronutrients

Obesity/obese - classified as a BMI of = 30kg/m 2

Overnutrition - a result of an excessive food intake and/or restricted or limited activity

Overweight - classified as a BMI of 25 - 29.9kg/m 2

Undernutrition - a result of an inadequate food intake and/or the presence of metabolically active disease

Underweight - classified by WHO as a BMI of <18.5kg/m 2. The MUST explanatory Booklet page 5 categorises underweight as both <18.5 and 18.5-20.

Page updated: Monday, December 07, 2009