Nibble away: Snacking’s OK as we age

ADVANCING age does have its perks: wisdom, recreational vehicles and, now, sanctioned snacking.

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002, Claire Zizza, a researcher at Auburn University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science, compared the diets of more than 2,000 seniors 65 and older. She found that the 84% who snacked consumed significantly more daily calories (protein, carbohydrates and total fat) than nonsnackers.

While snacking is the bane of most dieters, it could be good for the elderly, a population vulnerable to under eating, Zizza says.

“As people age, their calorie intake tends to decrease for any number of reasons — changes in taste sensations, medical conditions, or depression,” Zizza says. “When you start to lose weight as an older individual, that’s a sign of failing health.”

Healthful snacking has a particular merit for the elderly, agrees Colleen Sundermeyer, nutritionist and author of “Emotional Weight: End Diet Behavior Forever.”

The elderly eat more slowly, she says, which causes them to reach satiety sooner. “Snacking doesn’t leave the elderly feeling too full and uncomfortable.” This matters, she says, because when the body runs out of fuel it begins to break down muscle, bones and organs. The study was published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Assn.

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