Just as you may lose the sharpness of your vision or hearing with age, seniors may find that their senses of taste and smell are less sharp than they once were. Seniors often lose interest in food just because it doesn't taste as good as it once did. Try more spices and seasonings, bold flavors and new tastes and textures to keep food interesting.

 

Work on staying active, or becoming more active so you can continue to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods as you age without consuming too many calories.

 

It's never too late to begin an exercise program. Underweight older people look and feel frail because they have lost most of their muscles, not because of lack of fat. If you are inactive, you lose muscle mass to the point where you are unable to carry out daily activities - climbing stairs, getting up out of a chair - because your muscles are not strong enough to move the weight of your own body. Don't try to add fat to a weak body; read the section on How to Gain Muscle.

 

Overweight older people often have the double burden of weak muscles AND 20, 40 or more extra pounds to lug around with them every day. See the Need to Lose Weight section if this applies to you.