Maria Fátima Garcia de Menezes

Alimentação saudável na experiência de idosos

We seek, in this paper, to identify which means healthy alimentation for the elderly and the difficulties found daily to incorporate this set of precepts. We interviewed 202 elderly over 60 years, most females (93.1%), current or previous participants of activities at the Open University for Studies on the Elderly of Rio de Janeiro State University (70.8%). The responses indicate an ideology which has close ties to the concern for health, to prevent or treat chronic and degenerative diseases, with biologicist and medicalizing character of eating distanced from the world of desire and subjectivity. Difficulties concerning purchasing power, family life or solitude, biological issues imposed by the aging process appear as limiting to the regular practice of healthy eating. We believe that, from reflections on these questions, you can enrich the concept of healthy eating, including effectively both inside the health, as disease, considering the importance of a dialogue in which the subjects are experts, health professionals and elderly subjects, included therein, technical and subjective aspects in the construction of life projects, of projects of happiness.

Estado nutricional e autopercepção da imagem corporal de idosas de uma Universidade Aberta da Terceira Idade

The study aimed to estimate the association between nutritional status and body self-image dissatisfaction in elderly women attending the Food, Nutrition and Elderly Course at UnATI/UERJ. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with semi-structured interviews with all elderly (≥60 years), obtaining information regarding body image perception (scale of nine Stunkard silhouettes), socioeconomic, health and demographic indicators, and BMI. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and linear regression (significance level=5%). It was found that 50.0% had normal weight; 6.0% were in the category of underweight; and 44.0% were overweight (p=0.425). Regarding the perception of body image, 74.0% (n=37;p=0.0049) were dissatisfied with the body, mainly by excess (89.2%). Of those who expressed dissatisfaction with low weight, most were eutrophic. On the other hand, between the ones dissatisfied by excess, 30.2% are not overweight. Silhouettes 2 and 3 were identified as ideal for half of the respondents, although the self-perception of 62.0% of the elderly had been the silhouettes 4 and 5. The belly and limbs, especially lower body parts are the least liked by the older (78.0%). The silhouettes rating scale of the actual image increases as BMI (p<0.001). The opposite occurs regarding the ideal image (p<0.001). Individuals with high BMI tend to be more dissatisfied with their body image and this may be related to weight excess. This fact deserves deeper understanding of the determinants and meanings of this complex relationship dissatisfaction between body, beauty, health and aging.

Avaliação nutricional de idosos: desafios da atualidade

The majority of the public health problems in Brazil are related to nutritional status. Population aging is a reality and presents great challenges, especially for the health sector. Since nutrition plays a role in modulating the aging process, in the etiology of diseases and in the functional declines associated with aging, evaluation and nutritional monitoring of the elderly are necessary for proper care and planning of health promotion strategies. In this context, the present study aimed to reflect on the monitoring methods and proposed indicators of nutritional assessment of the elderly. It presents a summary of Ministry of Health recommendations which guide the care and nutritional assessment provided to the elderly by the National Health Service (SUS). The recommended procedures for the diagnosis and monitoring of the nutritional status of the elderly, though suggesting an increasing importance of monitoring food consumption indicators, end up emphasizing the use of anthropometric measures, especially the body mass index. The incorporation of other indicators in monitoring the elderly demonstrates progress in the recognition of the fundamental issues that need to be incorporated into professional practice and routine primary care. However, these indicators must be used by the professional as part of a critical, team-based approach, it being understood that no single indicator will meet the needs of all the elements of nutritional assessment, especially when it comes to the elderly.