:format():fill())
"People say 'Oh I'm just getting older' when in fact they're malnourished and it's completely avoidable for many people," says Judi Porter, a professor in dietetics at Deakin University.
Older people have higher protein and energy requirements than younger adults but their daily intake is often much lower so malnutrition can creep up easily.
In fact, 68 per cent of people living in aged care are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. And up to one in two elderly Australians in the community may have an insufficient diet.
"It's a serious problem in Australia," says Karly Bartrim, a dietitian and aged care interest group convenor at Dietitians Australia.