Dietary habits, practice and the elderly’s health in Greece

Over the last years population’s life expectancy follows a rapid rise at a global level, while scientific evidence presented appears to be reverse to unhealthier dietary habits. The role of healthy diet in the prevention of chronic diseases has been well-established by the vast population-based  epidemiological researches carried out during the last two-three decades. However, the role of nutritional services offered by dieticians to the population’s health has not been well-evaluated or documented. The aim of the present review was to assess the dietary habits of the older Greek and Cyprian islanders as well as the impact of dietary services on the population’s health.

Material-Methods: Review of papers conducted amongst elderly persons living in the Mediterranean islands (results form MEDIS).

Results: Prevalence of the cardiovascular risk factors (such as hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes) is increased while the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was moderate. The presence of dieticians in the islands of study was associated with better dietary habits and lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors amongst the elderly.

Conclusions: The older islanders that introduced us the healthy Mediterranean diet seem to avoid this traditional dietary pattern. The enhancement of nutritional services seems to improve the quality of life in the frail older individuals. Dieticians, together with physicians and other general practitioners, may introduce nutritional education at individual level as well as at the community one.