Food intake, body mass index and body fat mass in elderly

The influence of dietary intake in body composition had not been fully established among elderly people. Previous studies had revealed a controversial association between energy, protein, carbohydrate and lipid consumption with body mass index and body composition. The present study intended to evaluate a possible relationship between antropometric data, body composition and dietary intake in elderly people from a daily care institution. Thirty four individuals sixty five or more years old participated in this cross sectional research. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height, waist and muscular circumference were obtained and body fat mass was calculated by Brozek formula. Food consumption assessment was conducted through a daily weighting method. Daily lipid intake was significantly associated with weight, muscular and waist circumference as well as body mass index (p<0.05). However there was not found any association between body fat mass and daily lipid intake (p>0.05) which possible suggest that lipid consumption do not affect body fat mass gain neither body fat mass had seem to be associated with daily food intake (p>0.05).