In this study, 2,582 men and women (70 to 79 years old),
participating in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health
ABC) Study, filled out dietary questionnaires to assess their
overall dietary pattern and were followed for ten years.
Participants were placed, according to the predominant foods
they ate, into one of six dietary pattern groups which included:
Healthy Foods; High-Fat Dairy Products; Sweets and Desserts;
Breakfast Cereal; Refined Grains; and Meat, Fried Foods, and
Alcohol. “In the past century, the leading causes of death have
shifted from infectious diseases to chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular disease and cancer, which may be influenced by
diet,” said Amy L. Anderson, PhD, and her colleagues from the
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of
Maryland, College Park, MD. “As the older adult population
increases, so does the need to identify how dietary choices
affect quality of life and survival.” In addition to eating
plenty of whole foods such as fruits and veggies, h