Good nutrition is vital to good health.
Unfortunately, statistics show that nearly 25 percent of Americans 70-plus suffer from chronic malnutrition. And poor eating habits seem to have little to do with education or wealth. Physical aging, including loss of smell and taste, poor dental health and loss of muscle tone in the digestive tract, contributes to malnutrition. Limited financial resources, depression and reluctance to venture out of the house to go to a grocery store or restaurant are other factors. At the same time, because older people eat less, their diet needs to be well-balanced.