Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers
The growing aging population are increasingly suffering from the negative health consequences of the age-related decline in their senses, especially their chemical senses. Unfortunately, however, unlike for the higher senses of vision and hearing, there is currently nothing that can be done to bring...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/1/168 |
| _version_ | 1827600605683646464 |
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| author | Charles Spence Jozef Youssef |
| author_facet | Charles Spence Jozef Youssef |
| author_sort | Charles Spence |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The growing aging population are increasingly suffering from the negative health consequences of the age-related decline in their senses, especially their chemical senses. Unfortunately, however, unlike for the higher senses of vision and hearing, there is currently nothing that can be done to bring back the chemical senses once they are lost (or have started their inevitable decline). The evidence suggests that such chemosensory changes can result in a range of maladaptive food behaviours, including the addition of more salt and sugar to food and drink in order to experience the same taste intensity while, at the same time, reducing their overall consumption because food has lost its savour. Here, though, it is also important to stress the importance of the more social aspects of eating and drinking, given the evidence suggesting that a growing number of older individuals are consuming more of their meals alone than ever before. Various solutions have been put forward in order to try to enhance the food experience amongst the elderly, including everything from optimising the product-intrinsic food inputs provided to the remaining functional senses through to a variety of digital interventions. Ultimately, however, the aim has to be to encourage healthier patterns of food consumption amongst this rapidly-growing section of the population by optimising the sensory, nutritional, social, and emotional aspects of eating and drinking. An experimental dinner with the residents of one such home where nostalgic-flavoured healthy ice-creams were served is described. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:39:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eccf69614a384614a42356d176c9201f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:39:32Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-eccf69614a384614a42356d176c9201f2023-12-03T13:23:42ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582021-01-0110116810.3390/foods10010168Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly ConsumersCharles Spence0Jozef Youssef1Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Oxford OX2 6GG, UKKitchen Theory, Unit 9A Alston Works, London EN5 4EL, UKThe growing aging population are increasingly suffering from the negative health consequences of the age-related decline in their senses, especially their chemical senses. Unfortunately, however, unlike for the higher senses of vision and hearing, there is currently nothing that can be done to bring back the chemical senses once they are lost (or have started their inevitable decline). The evidence suggests that such chemosensory changes can result in a range of maladaptive food behaviours, including the addition of more salt and sugar to food and drink in order to experience the same taste intensity while, at the same time, reducing their overall consumption because food has lost its savour. Here, though, it is also important to stress the importance of the more social aspects of eating and drinking, given the evidence suggesting that a growing number of older individuals are consuming more of their meals alone than ever before. Various solutions have been put forward in order to try to enhance the food experience amongst the elderly, including everything from optimising the product-intrinsic food inputs provided to the remaining functional senses through to a variety of digital interventions. Ultimately, however, the aim has to be to encourage healthier patterns of food consumption amongst this rapidly-growing section of the population by optimising the sensory, nutritional, social, and emotional aspects of eating and drinking. An experimental dinner with the residents of one such home where nostalgic-flavoured healthy ice-creams were served is described.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/1/168agingchemical sensesmultisensory flavour perceptiongustationolfactiondigital commensality |
| spellingShingle | Charles Spence Jozef Youssef Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers Foods aging chemical senses multisensory flavour perception gustation olfaction digital commensality |
| title | Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers |
| title_full | Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers |
| title_fullStr | Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers |
| title_short | Aging and the (Chemical) Senses: Implications for Food Behaviour Amongst Elderly Consumers |
| title_sort | aging and the chemical senses implications for food behaviour amongst elderly consumers |
| topic | aging chemical senses multisensory flavour perception gustation olfaction digital commensality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/1/168 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charlesspence agingandthechemicalsensesimplicationsforfoodbehaviouramongstelderlyconsumers AT jozefyoussef agingandthechemicalsensesimplicationsforfoodbehaviouramongstelderlyconsumers |