Older People

Anorexia used to be regarded as a teenagers' disease. But now, the prevalence of youthful-looking older celebrities such as Sharon Stone and Madonna is being linked to a rise in the number of women in their 50s being treated for anorexia and other eating disorders.
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) says eating disorder clinics are no longer the preserve of young females. Ursula Philpot, a dietitian at the Yorkshire Centre for Eating Disorders and chairman of the BDA's Mental Health Group, said older women now made up at least 10 per cent of eating disorder patients. Mary George, a spokeswoman for Beat, said: "It is a much more competitive world that we live in now. Extra pressure is put on women and making them worried about their body issues, which can lead to an eating disorder.”
There are several reasons why an older person may not be eating sufficiently and these can include a lack of money to buy food, being physically unable to go out and buy food or carry it home, be unable to prepare a meal so therefore do not eat proper nutritious meals, or because they lack the motivation because of a fragile emotional state.
 
Whatever the reasons, it is vital that attention and awareness is further heightened so that we can make sure we notice the signs of an older person who is not eating properly and find ways around the issue that is causing the problem and look after the older generations.