Abstract
Eating habits were assessed over three days via meal weighing in fifty-eight 81-year-old men and women living independently. 1) Body mass index and blood test values were all within the normal range. 2) Intake of beverages was highest and cereals the second highest in both genders. The coefficient of variation was smallest for cereal intake among food groups. Sexual differences were noted in individual intake of algae and confectioneries, with intake of confectioneries higher in women and with less inter-individual variation than in men. 3) Energy intake was 2,077 kcal in men and 1,761 kcal in women, values which were appropriate for both sexes. The energy ratio of each nutrient was as follows: proteins, 15.4% in men and 15.2% in women; lipids, 23.9% in men and 24.1% in women; carbohydrates, 56.6% in men and 59.9% in women; alcohol, 4.1% in men and 0.7% in women. 4) Intakes of icosatrienoic acid and arachidonic acid were significantly higher in men than in women. Total intake of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid was 1.2 g in men, 1.0 g in women. 5) With regard to amino acids, intake of glutamic acid was highest and that of aspartic acid was second highest. 6) With regard to carbohydrates, intake of sucrose was highest, and that of glucose was the second highest. 7) On comparison of each subject’s personalized necessary energy value- which was calculated from the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese 2010 with the subject’s actual intake, differences were found to be within 1% in both sexes. Given these results, energy intake and energy intake ratio by nutrients among elderly individuals living independently were found to be within the appropriate range of Dietary Reference Intakes. However, sex-related differences in intake were noted in certain food groups.
