Nutrition education for the healthy elderly population: isn't it time?

In the United States, people are living longer, healthier lives. A major goal of our public health system is to maintain health among successful agers and prevent or delay chronic disease morbidity. Major strides are being made in identifying the dietary needs of elderly people that are different from those of younger adults. However, nutrition education programs to promote those dietary needs have lagged behind. This report reviews dietary needs, demographic information, and recent nutrition policies for older adults as a basis for nutrition education programs. This report suggests that it is time to keep pace with recent findings and develop national and state-sponsored programs that will provide nutrition education and information transference to older people in the communities.