Dietary intake in an elderly population living in Athens

Abstract

PurposeIt has been proposed that the Greek diet is changing and becoming increasingly Westernized. Although previous studies have assessed the diet of Greek adults, few have focused on the elderly in detail. The aims of the present investigation are to: assess habitual dietary intakes of elderly residents living in Athens and compare the modern Greek diet to the traditional Greek diet and UK recommendations.Design/methodology/approachThirty‐five free‐living males and 27 females (mean age 71.3 years, SD 7.2) living in Athens completed a background information questionnaire and 24‐h dietary recall.FindingsDietary protein, total fat and sodium exceeded dietary guidelines. Energy intake, non‐starch polysaccharide, vitamin D and calcium were below UK recommended levels of intake. Findings indicate that the diet of elderly residents living in Athens appears to be moving away from the traditional Greek diet.Research limitations/implicationsIt was a limitation that a larger study population was not recruited. However, due to limited resources, this was only intended to be a small‐scale preliminary study.Originality/valueThis appears to be one of the few studies to investigate the dietary habits of the Greek elderly, prospectively.