Nutrition in older people

A new National Diet and Nutrition Survey was published in October 1998, by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health, which reported on the dietary intake and nutritional status of people over 65 years of age in the UK. This survey provided data on 1,275 free‐living people and 412 people in residential care. Along with the information on diet and nutritional status are data on anthropometric and biochemical parameters. A second related survey looked at dental health in this age group. The key findings of these surveys and the public health implications for older people are discussed.