No.19

No.19 5/12/2015

　　　　　If I do not eat well ...

　If one’s quantity of food decreases, and necessary nourishment is insufficient, it causes various diseases. It is an error to think that plain food is enough when we get old. It is important to eat well. With hypoalimentation ( undernourishment or subalimantation ), the level of albumins ( globular proteins in the blood ) increase when we eat a lot of meat and fish and BMI ( body mass index ) which measures physique, becomes lower than the fixed standard. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2012 of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the percentage of people aged 65-74 with a BMI of less than 20 due to subalimmantation is15% and it increases to 19% at age 75. Elderly people tend to eat lightly and think that it is natural to get thinner. The most worrisome cases of lack of nutrition are the senior people who shut themselves in the house. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare set new standards from fiscal 2015 and also set 70-year-old men and women’s BMI aim to 21.5-24.9. As for the lower-range number, for 50-69-year-olds it is 18.5 and for 49-year-olds it is 20.0. Even if BMI is high, if we become old, it is said that we have a low risk of death. Every man needs 60 grams of protein a day and woman should take 50 grams per day and according to a certain survey, with malnutrition, the mortality risk for both men and women rises 1.6 times compared to those getting proper nutrition. The incidence of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction in which the walls of blood vessels become breakable increase. Their muscles decrease and they fall easily and the risk of infection increases due to their weakened immunity function. Also, wounds become hard to cure and breathing function falls and people become tired easily.　

　There are various causes leading to hypoalimentation. Appetite may drop as a side-effect of medicine and the power to chew and the power to swallow become weak.　In addition, though he is not fat, someone may hold the wrong belief of " I am fat".

　All in all, it is important for elderly people to eat well.

　What should I do to prevent malnutrition? I should listen to Dr.. S. Hinohara.

　　 ※　 My data

　　 Height 178cm Weight 60.5kg BMI 17.5

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　しっかり食べないと…

　食べる量が減って、必要な栄養が足りない「低栄養」状態になると、様々な病気を引き起こす。「年をとれば粗食で良い」は誤りでしっかり食べることが大切だ。

　低栄養とは、肉や魚を多く食べると増える血中のたんぱくのアルブミン値や、体格を表すBMIなどが一定値より低くなる状態を示す。厚生労働省の2012年の国民健康・栄養調査によると、低栄養の傾向があるとされるBMI 20以下の割合は、65〜74歳が15％で、75歳以上では19％に増える。高齢者は小食になり、やせることが当たり前と思っている。家に閉じこもっている高齢者は、栄養不足が最も心配なようで、厚労省は15年からあらたな食事摂取基準を男女ともにBMI目標を70歳以上で21.5〜24.9とした。下の値は50〜69歳は20.0、49歳までは18.5だ。高齢になるとBMIが高めでも、死亡リスクが高まり難いことを踏まえたという。タンパク質は一日に男性は60グラム、女性は50グラムとることを呼び掛けている。ある調査によると、低栄養になっていると、男女とも死亡リスクが、低栄養ではない人と比べて1.6倍程度に上がっていたという。血管の壁がもろくなるタイプの脳梗塞や心筋梗塞が増え、筋肉が減って転びやすくなり、免疫機能が低下して感染症になりやすく、傷は治り難くなる。呼吸機能が下がり、疲れやすくなるとも言われる。低栄養になる原因はいくつもある。薬の副作用による食欲低下、咬む力や飲み込む力の衰え、などのほか、太っていないのに「自分は太っている」という間違った思い込みもある。