Undernutrition is a scourge among the elderly. In France, around 400,000 elderly people living at home suffer from it.

The undernutrition of the elderly has dramatic consequences, such as loss of autonomy for example.

Undernutrition does not occur without reason, it is linked to other concerns. It is frequent in the elderly, in connection with the accumulation of pathologies during aging, dependence and social isolation.

To prevent this undernutrition, it is therefore necessary to know how to identify the causes that can trigger it, in order to act at the source of the problem.

This is why we explain to you in this video what are the causes of undernutrition in the elderly.

Undernutrition can be caused by many factors:

• physical: loss of taste ( food does not have as much flavor, the elderly loses its appetite) , oral problems ( painful gums and difficult chewing) , swallowing problems, digestive problems, insufficient physical activity         
• health: cognitive disorders, chronic diseases, restrictive diets         
• social: dependency, precariousness         

Weight loss is the most recognizable symptom of older adult malnutrition. Weight loss of 5% in one month, or 10% in six months, indicates malnutrition in the elderly.

In France, nearly 400,000 elderly people living at home suffer from undernutrition. 

It is important to know the causes of undernutrition but if you want to know how to recognize it, watch the video available on the BornSafety.com site: how to detect undernutrition?