More than half of people over 65 years of age suffers from senile anorexia.

-Malnutrition and fecal impaction is the most serious consequences

-appropriate food and fiber intake can mitigate its effects

Madrid, 2011-October around three million nine hundred thousand people at Spain suffering from senile anorexia, as evidenced by the Spanish residence doctors society (Semer). One of its most eminent researchers, Henry Rey, specialist of digestive system of the Madrid Hospital Clínico San Marcos, qualifies that the 7.840.000 people that already exceed the 65 years in the country, more than 50 percent with this disease in greater or lesser extent. A pathology, clarifies, that should not be compared or identify with anorexia nervosa, which has a different origin ” in this case a decrease in appetite, that in most cases is derived from a set of social, physiological, and even psychological reasons ”.

Physiological aspects include the loss of the sense of taste and smell, which decreases the palatability of foods, and a smaller gastric accommodation, which generates a feeling of satiety ”.

With regard to the social and personal consequences include the decline in physical activity to reduce calorie needs; the lack of teeth or chewing difficulties that modify the type of foods that can be consumed easily and change the diet; the decrease of social activity around the food; diet changes forced by a disease – like foods low in salt, low in fat or inhibiting – for a need – to resort to diets more simple and inexpensive a retail purchasing power, for example – or lack of capacity to prepare them.

In third place certain psychological factors such as depression, common problem in older people, can affect this process, although more indirectly.

Serious consequences

The consequences of senile anorexia can be very serious. First, the lower income of nutrients can result in malnutrition, more or less pronounced, but in any case common in the elderly ” explains this expert. Second lower intake causes a lack of waste which facilitates the constipation. Without forgetting to eat, individually or collectively, is a pleasant activity, therefore anorexia result in a loss of vital quality ” essential ingredient of the new health care model that promulgates Semer in which raw materials not only health care, but also social and above all, the choice of the user. Thus indicates it the President of this collective, Alberto López Rocha, who warns that, however, senile anorexia, fecal impaction, and other important areas relating to older persons, are not usually take into account or respond as they should, not even at the preventive level, the best tool to eradicate them ”. And it is that as ensures López Rocha, taboos and prejudices surrounding both cases prevent a better approach and discussion about the disease. This should be added the educational model of our elders, his guilt feeling certain needs ” or also because the current structure of the residences not allow ” so is very necessary to not only change the mentality in general, but rehumanizar centres where living elders ” concludes.

In fact, adds King, there is no mention of senile anorexia probably due to ignorance and because it is often attributed the anorexia, personal or socially, the type of diet imposed by the circumstances or occlusal limitations ”. In this regard, regrets, refers to many times as ‘ normal ’ in what circumstances is that ‘ so I can eat, almost takes me off hunger ’ you could say ”. Same with constipation, is considered a problem ‘ normal ’ and inherent in the way of life and the person, when it is not ”. Both anorexia and constipation, ensures this specialists, they can become serious problems to be overcome and that previously served in their initial States, are easier to solve ”.

Among the possible solutions, Rocha recalls would mitigate that dealing with the effects such as constipation and malnutrition, are all anorexia. Both are can combat, gcon certain general basic measures as an intake suitable and proportionate fiber around 20 or 25 grams daily, regular physical activity moderate – for example to walk one hour per night – drink at least 1´5 liters of water in each day and rely on the medical and pharmaceutical specialists rely on simple products, away from the usual laxative, which in most cases, far from solving the case, it reinforces therefore cronifica the problem due to the effect ‘ bounce ’ which tends to cause ”.