Though it's similar to anorexia nervosa, which affects young people, the conditions aren't the same. Unfortunately, he says, some physicians fail to consider the medical origins of anorexia, including depression, chronic disease, malignancy, antibiotics and other drugs. Changes in appetite in the elderly need to be taken seriously, Ehrlich cautioned. If your parents' appetite or food tastes have changed dramatically, it's a good idea to consult a nutritionist or dietitian. With a sharp drop in food intake, your parent might not be getting the proper nutrition.
Vitamin deficiencies can even cause symptoms of dementia.
Eating too much salt can be dangerous to the cardiovascular system. The doc suggests that older people switch to a salt substitute or find a combination of herbs and spices that assuage their yen for salty foods. As for sweets, Ehrlich assures me, very, very old people do lose their craving for sweets. The last five years of their life, most people get down to their perfect weight. But Ehrlich pointed out, at 100, I probably I won't turn heads in a bikini no matter how slim I am.