PAST EVENT at the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) 2019 meeting in Dublin—CRN-I’s session
AUGUST 2020 Update: Meeting report published—Journal of Nutrition Sciences: “From Lifespan to Healthspan: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Ageing”
From Lifespan to Healthspan: The Role of Nutrition in Healthy Ageing
Session took place: Friday 18 October 10:45 | BO3 – Liffey Hall 1
ABSTRACT: Across the globe, there has been a marked increase in longevity, but significant inequalities remain, of access to proper nutrition and healthcare services, and often the information to make the decisions related to nutrition and healthcare. Yet, without fail, everyone has a desire to not only live longer, but to age healthfully. Many in developing as well as developed societies are plagued with the dichotomy of calorie excess and under-nourishment. This has resulted in mental and physical deterioration, increased non-communicable disease rates, lost productivity and quality of life, and increased medical costs. While adequate nutrition is fundamental to good health, it remains unclear what impact various dietary interventions may have on prolonging a desired and enjoyable quality of life. For progress to continue, there is need for new and/or innovative approaches to promoting health as individuals age, as well as qualitative and quantitative biomarkers and other accepted tools which can measure improvements in physiological integrity throughout life. A framework for progress has been proposed and published by the World Health Organization in their Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health. This session will focus on the impact of nutrition on this framework, which takes a broad, person-centered emphasis on healthy ageing, stressing the need to better understand an individual’s intrinsic capacity, their functional abilities at various life stages, and the impact of their mental, and physical health, and the environments they inhabit.
The Public Health Significance of Improving Healthspan (vs. Lifespan)
Dr. Kremlin Wickramasinghe, Technical Officer – Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Office), Moscow, Russian Federation.
Dietary Interventions to Promote Healthier Ageing.
Dr. John Mathers, Human Nutrition Research Centre; Newcastle University Institute for Ageing; Newcastle University, Newcastle on Tyne, UK.
Impact of (Personalized) Nutrition on Healthy Ageing from the Perspective of Phenotypic Flexibility’
Dr. Suzan Wopereis, Senior Scientists – Systems Biology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Zeist, Netherlands.