Undernutrition in the elderly

Undernutrition in the elderly is considered to be a major health problem. Hospitals and care institutions are alert to the risk of protein and energy deficiency in the elderly and provide nutritional supplementation (extra protein and energy) where this is deemed to be necessary. In this advisory report, a specially appointed Committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands concludes that the exact scope of the problem is unclear and that many questions still remain to be answered concerning the effectiveness of dietary interventions in the elderly. Scientific research of good quality and sufficient scope is needed to improve the understanding of these issues.