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Although verbal and written instructions on how to record dietary intake are commonly used in research, little information has been published describing instructional methods or materials. In the New Mexico Aging Process Study, a longitudinal study of nutrition and aging, participants keep a 3-day diet record each year. Classroom instruction and written materials are used in the study, and they were updated for use with Food Intake Analysis System (FIAS), version 2.3. This article describes the instructional methods and materials used to prepare elderly participants to keep accurate diet records; reports the development of a novel instructional tool, the food description flowcharts; and presents participants' opinions of the quality of the instruction and the usefulness of written materials. Included in the written materials were general instructions for recording food intake, examples of completed food intake and recipe forms, hints for eating out, and instructions for easy-to-use electronic scales. The flowcharts guide participants in accurately describing food intake while matching the coding requirements of FIAS. Fifty participants completed a written survey to evaluate the instructions and written materials. More than half of the respondents found the written materials to be very useful. All found the verbal instruction to be excellent or good. Nutritionists observed that records kept by participants who attended the class were generally complete and specific. The findings indicate that participants were satisfied with the instructions and written materials., Dietary patterns of the elderly are important for examining the energy and nutrient intakes and nutritional health of older adults. In the New Mexico Aging Process Study (NMAPS), a longitudinal [...]

Background. There is little information for age differences in body composition in elderly people >65 years of age, especially for those >80 years. As the proportion of people older than 65 years is expected to nearly double during the next few decades, this information is needed. Methods. Age differences in body composition and Anthropometry were examined in 316 men and women aged 60 to 95 years. Multiple components of body composition were quantified using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and isotope dilution methods, and expressed in molecular and cellular models. Analysis of variance was used to test for differences between age groups 60 to 70, 71 to 80, and >80 years in each sex. Body composition components were regressed on age, controlling for knee height, fat-free mass, or total body fat. Age-adjusted correlations were calculated with anthropometric variables. Results. Fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM), and appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) decreased with age in both sexes. ASM decreased relative to FFM in both the men and the women, while BCM decreased relative to FFM in the women only. Total fat mass and percent body fat decreased with age in the women, but not in the men. Body fat distribution did not appear to change with age. Anthropometric indices, muscle area and waist/hip ratio, had low correlations with muscle mass and fat distribution. Conclusions. 'Sarcopenia,' or muscle loss, continues to occur into old age, and may have significant impacts on physical function and health status. New anthropometric techniques are needed for assessing muscle loss with age.

The New Mexico Aging Process study provides information on the dietary recommendations for old adults considering several factors such as psychological, socioeconomic and physiological variations which affect aging. Consumption of meat, fish and poultry by old adults is necessary as it maintains the desired level of proteins and micronutrients in the body. Dietary lipids in the blood of an individual decrease with increase age due to less consumption of meat, fish and poultry with increasing age.

Energy restriction, without malnutrition, prolongs the maximum life span of laboratory rodents. A reduction in metabolic rate has been proposed as a potential mechanism for increased longevity. The present study examines changes in metabolic rate of adult rats after a 6-wk period of energy restriction. Two groups ( n = 6) of 6-mo-old male Fisher-344 rats were studied. Restricted rats were pair-fed a diet equivalent in vitamins and minerals but restricted to 60% of energy consumed by rats eating ad libitum. Average and basal metabolic rates were measured by direct calorimetry over a 24-h period without food. Fat mass and lean body mass were determined by NMR spectroscopy. After 6 wk of restriction, when expressed per kilogram of lean body mass the average metabolic rate was reduced by 14% and basal metabolic rate by 12% compared with the ad libitum diet rats (P is less than or equal to 0.01). Reduction of metabolic rate did not seem to be a transient effect of chronic energy restriction in mature rats. J. Nutr. 123: 90-97, 1993.

Food selection of the healthy elderly may be influenced by life-styles, the food supply, and recommendations related to diet and disease. This study used food group analysis of 3-day diet records to examine red meat, poultry, and fish consumption by free-living, healthy elderly individuals. Dietary data were from 122 women and 97 men (median age = 75 years) who were participants in the New Mexico Aging Process Study in 1984. Mean dietary intake was 1,494 kcal/day for women and 2,079 kcal/day for men--82% and 94% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), respectively. Protein, iron, and selected B vitamins were above 100% of the RDA. Women's mean daily intake of meat/poultry/fish was 87.7 g (52.1 g meat, 23.6 g poultry, 12.0 g fish); men's intake of meat/poultry/fish was 121.2 g (78.4 g meat, 21.2 g poultry, 21.6 g fish). Of the total red meat, more than 50% was beef, 20% was pork/ham, and more than 10% was processed meat. For women, meat/poultry/fish provided 14% of total dietary energy, 37% of protein, 13% to 32% of selected B vitamis and iron, 20% of fat, and 34% of cholesterol. Percentages were similar for men. There was no significant association between age and total dietary intake, but food group consumption had distinct associations with age for women and men. Our findings indicate that a moderate but not excessive intake of meat/poultry/fish made a substantial contribution to nutrient intake. The fat contribution of these food groups could be decreased by emphasizing lower-fat selections of meat, poultry, and fish., An understanding of the dietary patterns, food selection, and nutrient intake of the elderly is important for assessment of possible nutritional risk and for planning and evaluating public health recommendations. [...]

A simple instrument was used to measure both the favorite foods of some rural Southwestern children and their intake of food relevant to cardiovascular health with a view to designing and pilot-testing a culturally appropriate health curriculum. Pilot-testing indicated several significant changes in eating behavior were achieved. (JD)

Background. A recently published and widely quoted modified food guide pyramid encourages persons over the age of 70 years to ingest eight glasses (2 liters) of fluids per day. We challenge the need for this much fluid intake and even question whether it may do more harm than good. Methods. Equal numbers of Hispanic and non-Hispanic white men and women were selected randomly from the Health Care Financing Administration (Medicare) rolls and recruited for a home interview followed by a 4-hour interview/examination in a senior health clinic. Questionnaires and examinations were used to determine usual daily self-reported intake of fluids, lying and standing blood pressures, history of falls over the past year, and the presence of chronic constipation and chronic fatigue or tiredness. Serum samples were obtained for determination of sodium, urea nitrogen (SUN) and creatinine concentrations, and calculation of SUN/creatinine ratios. Results. Interviews/examinations were conducted on 883 volunteers (mean age of 74.1 years). Most participants (71%) estimated that their usual fluid intake was equal to or exceeded six glasses per day. Evidence of hypematremia (serum sodium concentration [is greater than] 146 mEq/l) was not observed in the 227 individuals ingesting less than this. Hyponatremia also was rare in this population. Fluid intake showed no significant associations with lying and standing blood pressures, a history of falling, or the frequency of chronic constipation or fatigue/tiredness. Conclusion. Until we have more evidence-based documentation that fluid intake of eight glasses (2 liters) per day improves some aspect of an elderly person's health, encouraging a fluid intake above a level that is comfortable for the individual seems to serve little useful purpose.

The increased longevity of food-restricted rats can be attributed to a reduction in their metabolic rate. The experimental conditions employed during the study, such as the use of direct calorimetry to measure basal metabolic rates and restriction of feeding at 6 months of age, all support this finding. In addition, the study was able to show that 6-month old rats have lower metabolic rates when deprived of food due to metabolic reequilibration.

Dietitians and nutritionists are aware of the importance of social and cultural factors in shaping food patterns (1,2). A previous article reported on food intake of children in rural northwestern [...]

The purpose of this paper was to assess ethnic, gender and age differences in food consumption and liking in a Southwestern population. Subjects were 176 Anglo, Hispanic, Navajo and Jemez Indian elementary school children. Numerous ethnic differences in food intake and liking were identified, and a smaller number of gender and age differences were also significant. These results suggest that nutrition programs and curriculum development should be adapted and individualized to fit the needs of children of different cultures, genders and ages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to obtain information about food intake and liking in a Southwestern population, a questionnaire was administered to 176 Anglo, Hispanic, Navajo and Jemez Indian elementary school children. Frequencies of intake of certain foods, particularly foods indigenous to the Southwest, were different from those of the Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, implying that all Americans do not eat from a “common table.” The results suggest that regional and cultural factors should be considered in making dietary recommendations and in planning nutrition education curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]