A Study of Korean Elderly on the Preference of Food according to Body Composition

Present study classified body composition to 4 groups categorized as sarcopenic obesity (SO), sarcopenic nonobesity (SNO), nonsarcopenic obesity (NSO), and nonsarcopenic nonobesity (NSNO) and then was performed to investigate that body composition associated with food consumption frequency as well as MS in individual aged 60 years or older. Body mass index and an appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) divided by weight (Wt) of < 1 standard deviation (SD) below the sex-specific mean for young adults were used to define obesity and sarcopenia. A total of 1,433 subjects (658 male and 775 females) 60 years or older from the fifth Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2010 participated in this study. One of the interesting findings was that the association of the prevalence of MS with body composition was higher in women than man. Other finding was that there were different food frequency and food preference according to 4 different groups between men and women. In addition, men are much more influenced by food than women. In conclusion, body composition changes were more related with food frequency in elderly men (60 years or older) than women. Women had a higher prevalence of MS than men, suggesting early nutritional intervention in elderly women may help them prevent body composition changes.