Apples for Health- Lack of appetite may be indicator of dying

Lack of appetite may be indicator of dying

BEER-SHEVA, Israel, May 14 (UPI) -- Elderly people with impaired appetite are more likely to die sooner, researchers in Israel said.

The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, demonstrated a link between the Daily Activity Energy

Expenditure -- an accurate measurement of total physical activity, appetite and mortality among well functioning long-term care adults.

"These findings are important because they show how subjective appetite measurement can predict death, even when adjusting for health and many other variables," Dr. Danit Shahar of Ben-Gurion University said in a statement. "It was thought that decreased appetite may be an indicator or a result to other health problems, and that malnutrition, rather than low appetite was associated with mortality."

Using 298 older participants -- ages 70-82 years -- the researchers analyzed dietary factors, including self-reported appetite, enjoyment of eating and intake assessed by the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire and Healthy Eating Index.

The nine-year study found participants who reported improved appetite were at lower risk for mortality.