Adults 60+ Eat 16% to 20% Fewer Calories as Aging Dulls Hunger Signals
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
Adults 60+ Eat 16% to 20% Fewer Calories as Aging Dulls Hunger Signals
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 30
Summary
Nearly 60 studies found adults 60 and older consume 16% to 20% fewer calories than younger adults, reflecting a common drop in appetite with age.
Experts say aging can blunt hunger and speed fullness through hormonal shifts, including lower ghrelin production or a weaker bodily response to that hunger hormone.
Barbara Rolls of Penn State said appetite is shaped by multiple factors, making it hard to pinpoint a single cause for any one person’s reduced eating.
The report frames the change as a common part of aging and points older adults to possible causes and practical ways to respond.