Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet so the body gets the nutrients that it needs. They include water, minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Adults older than 70 need more calcium and vitamin D to help maintain bone health. Elderly nutrition plays a vital role in advance healthcare in geriatric segment. Nutrition help prevent malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. Moreover, they help improve immunity and prevent diseases such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, vitamin deficiency, cancer, and neurological disorders. The growth of the elderly nutrition market can be attributed to the growing geriatric population around the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world's population aged 60 years and older is expected to total 2 billion by 2050, up from 900 million in 2015. Today, around 125 million people are aged 80 years or older. Maintaining a nutrient-dense diet is critically important for older adults because of the impact of food intake on health. In April 2021, MCS and Supermercados Econo partnered to launch the contest ‘Gana con MCS Classicare’ to support elderly population at this difficult time (during COVID-19 pandemic). This contest is reinforcing the importance of good nutrition to keep their health in optimal condition. This in turn is expected propel the elderly nutrition market growth.
Moreover, increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and nervous disorders in geriatric patients is major factor driving the elderly nutrition market growth. Dietary deficiencies are linked to chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease. While Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older people. According to the Alzheimer's Association, one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Thus, with the increasing prevalence of aforementioned diseases, the demand for elderly nutrition is also increasing, which in turn, is expected to drive growth of the elderly nutrition market.
In the Asia Pacific, the elderly nutrition market is witnessing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the rising geriatric population, and government initiatives or programs regarding nutrition and diet. For instance, in March 2021, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (India) planned to launch a Poshan Abhiyan for the Elderly, to provide nutrition support to the indigent elders, who are not staying in the Old Age Homes and are victims of severe malnutrition, by focusing on procuring locally available healthy food material and serving hot-cooked mid-day meals.
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