Depression is relatively common among older people, and it can lead to severe weight loss. Taking medicine can affect nutritional status in other ways. The gastrointestinal side effects of some medications can interfere with the desire to eat. Anti-inflammatory drugs used in the treatment of arthritis, for instance, can cause stomach upset. Medication-related nutritional problems are thus likelier among senior citizens than among younger persons.
People often become less active as they age, and their appetites can decrease in consequence.
Increasing physical activity, as by following an exercise regimen, may stimulate seniors' appetites. It may also help older adults to maintain physical abilities necessary for routine actions, to slow the development of osteoporosis, and to improve their cardiovascular fitness and immune-system functioning. Isolation is a major risk factor for poor nutrition among seniors, and especially among those seniors who have recently lost a spouse. Someone who is suddenly alone after many years of living with another person may lose interest in eating or, if the housemate was the sole food preparer, may not be accustomed to or even marginally skilled at designing healthful meals and preparing food. Researchers at Georgia State University compared the eating habits of recently widowed older adults with those of married people of similar ages.