Managing malnutrition in older adults in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of older adults in the community who are at risk of malnutrition. Vulnerable groups include people recovering at home from mild-to-moderate COVID-19, those discharged from hospital after severe infection and those who have undergone extended periods of social isolation as a result of the public health measures in place to reduce the spread of infection. Various COVID-19-specific malnutrition care pathways and resources are available, and this article details practical interventions that can assist nurses caring for older adults in the community to identify and manage malnutrition risk.

Managing malnutrition in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prevalence of risk factors for malnutrition has increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These risk factors include various symptoms and effects of COVID-19, such as breathlessness, coughing, inflammation, sarcopenia, anorexia and loss of taste or smell, as well as the side effects of treatment. In addition, public health infection prevention and control measures can inadvertently reduce access to food and increase social isolation, thus adversely affecting people's nutritional status. This article outlines practical interventions for preventing and managing malnutrition in the community, particularly where it is exacerbated by the social restrictions in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taste and weight: is there a link?

Investigations of the relations between taste perception and obesity have concentrated largely on sweet and bitter tastes, with little work on the "savory" tastes-salt and glutamate-and very little work on sour taste. This article briefly reviews current understanding of the relations between the ability to taste different tastes (ie, taste threshold for sweet, bitter, sour, salt, and umami) and body mass. Obese children and adolescents show a disturbance in some tastes, with reported reductions in sweet and salt thresholds. Observations on relations between sweet taste threshold and obesity are contradictory; literature discrepancies may depend on the techniques used to evaluate taste. Obese women, however, report higher intensities of monosodium glutamate perception. Taste thresholds have been reported to be raised (bitter and sour), lowered (salt), or unchanged (sweet) in obese adults. Taste perceptual changes (threshold, intensity) in obesity are complex and may be different in obese men and women and in adults and children. Very little is currently known about the relations between savory tastes-salt and umami-and body weight, and these areas merit further study.

Association between nocturnal sleep duration, body fatness, and dietary intake in Greek women.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association of nocturnal sleep duration with body fatness, energy, and macronutrient intake in female adults. METHODS: Thirty healthy Greek women 30-60 y of age and under no medication were recruited for an observational, cross-sectional study in Athens, Greece, in 2005. Participants' height, weight, skinfold thickness, and waist and hip circumferences were measured. All subjects completed a Sleep Habits Questionnaire and a 7-d sleep diary to estimate nocturnal sleep duration. Two 24-h dietary recall interviews were conducted to assess dietary intake. RESULTS: Nocturnal sleep duration was negatively associated with body fatness (r = -0.614, P < 0.001) and body mass index (r = -0.401, P < 0.05). Each 1-h decrease in nocturnal sleep duration was associated with a significant increase in body fat of 2.8% (95% confidence interval -4.6 to -1.0) when the effects of age and energy intake were held constant. A weak positive association between sleep duration and saturated fat was observed (r = 0.392, P < 0.05). However, no significant association of sleep duration with certain central obesity indices, energy intake, or a preference for fat or carbohydrate consumption was found. CONCLUSION: The present study identifies an independent negative association of nocturnal sleep duration with body fatness. Therefore, the shorter the sleep duration, the greater is the body fatness. The hypothesis that sleep duration is associated with energy intake and a preference for fat or carbohydrate consumption was not supported.

Randomised controlled trial of four commercial weight loss programmes in the UK: initial findings from the BBC "diet trials".

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of four commercial weight loss diets available to adults in the United Kingdom. DESIGN: Six month multicentre randomised unblinded controlled trial. SETTING: Community based sample of otherwise healthy overweight and obese adults. INTERVENTIONS: Dr Atkins' new diet revolution, Slim-Fast plan, Weight Watchers pure points programme, and Rosemary Conley's eat yourself slim diet and fitness plan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight and body fat changes over six months. RESULTS: All diets resulted in significant loss of body fat and weight over six months. Groups did not differ significantly but loss of body fat and weight was greater in all groups compared with the control group. In an intention to treat analysis, average weight loss was 5.9 kg and average fat loss was 4.4 kg over six months. The Atkins diet resulted in significantly higher weight loss during the first four weeks, but by the end was no more or less effective than the other diets. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically useful weight loss and fat loss can be achieved in adults who are motivated to follow commercial diets for a substantial period. Given the limited resources for weight management in the NHS, healthcare practitioners should discuss with their patients programmes known to be effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials NCT00327821.