Poor nutrition is a major problem in older Americans. Inadequate intake affects approximately 37 to 40 percent of community-dwelling individuals over 65 years of age (Ryan et al., 1992). In addition, the vast majority of older Americans have chronic conditions in which nutrition interventions have been demonstrated to be effective in improving health and quality-of-life outcomes. Eighty-seven percent of older Americans have either diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or a combination of these chronic diseases (NCHS, 1997). These conditions all have adverse outcomes that can be ameliorated or reduced with appropriate nutrition intervention
