Food manufacturers should devote far more resources to addressing the nutritional vulnerability of older people and the impact that poor nutritional status has on quality of life, according to the former chief scientist at Nestlé UK.
By 2031, one in three people in the UK would be aged 60 or over, said professor David Richardson, now a consultant in nutrition and food science. However, for many people, old age was far from ripe. Of particular concern was the dramatic loss of muscle mass in the ageing population, said Richardson, who was speaking at a conference hosted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
"A male aged 20-29 might have 24kg of muscle and 15kg of fat. A male aged 70-79 might have just 13kg of muscle and 25kg of fat. He might weigh the same, but his body composition has changed dramatically. At what point should nutritional support be considered in order to minimise or delay the decline in muscle mass and function?"
While many people associated whey protein with body building, it could prove a key weapon in the fight against sarcopenia, said Richardson. "There are many health benefits associated with whey proteins and the positive physiological effects of the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. These have major nutritional potential because they spare lean body mass during weight loss, promote wound healing and decrease muscle wasting."
Given that the lower your muscle mass, the lower your resting metabolic rate, trying to maintain muscle mass was also key to successful weight management, he said.