Chemosensory impairment does not diminish eating pleasure and appetite in independently living older adults

The results of this study show that chemosensory impairment may not be related with diminished eating pleasure and appetite, while other non-physiological factors such as loneliness, dietary restrictions and subjective health should be taken more into account in order to develop effective strategies to counteract malnutrition in the elderly. In addition, low awareness of chemosensory impairment among this sample highlights the importance of measuring sensory acuity rather than asking by questionnaire or interview, in order to obtain reliable data.