Notice of the Office of the National Working Committee on Aging on Launching an Action to Improve Nutrition for the Aged

National Office on Aging No. 18 [2022]

Health Commission of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (Office of Aging) :

In order to further improve the nutrition and health status of the elderly, effectively enhance the sense of health gain of the elderly and promote healthy aging, according to the "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and The State Council on Strengthening the Work on Aging in the New Era", the "14th Five-Year Plan for Healthy Aging" and the National Nutrition Plan (2017-2030) ", The Office of the National Working Committee on Aging has decided to organize a nationwide campaign to improve nutrition for the elderly from 2022 to 2025. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:

1.action objectives

(1) Enhance the nutrition and health awareness of the elderly, improve their nutrition and health literacy, and create a social atmosphere conducive to the nutrition and health of the elderly;

(2) Implementing nutrition interventions to improve the nutritional health status of the elderly;

(3) Carry out core knowledge and skills training on nutrition and health for the elderly, and improve the nutrition and health services for the elderly in the health system.

2. Content of Actions

(1) Promoting nutrition and health knowledge for the elderly. With reference to the core recommended contents of the "General Dietary Guidelines for the Elderly" and the "Dietary Guidelines for the Elderly" in the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) (see the attachment), and in combination with local food resources, eating habits and traditional food and nutrition concepts, the healthy lifestyle of "three reductions and three health" as well as nutrition and health knowledge such as balanced dietary collocation, cooking skills and traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy are widely promoted. National Elderly Health Publicity Week, National Nutrition Week, National Food Safety Publicity Week, Double Ninth Festival and Respect for the Elderly Month are used to vigorously carry out science popularization and education activities, and promote the normalization of nutrition and health education activities for the elderly. We will innovate the forms and carriers of publicity, give full play to the role of traditional and new media, and send nutrition and health knowledge to the elderly into communities, families, hospitals, and pension institutions, guiding the elderly to establish nutrition and health awareness and form a nutritious and healthy lifestyle.

(2) Strengthen nutrition interventions for the elderly. Implement the national basic public health services for the elderly health management project, understand the elderly diet, smoking, drinking and other lifestyle habits, combined with physical examination and auxiliary examination, carry out targeted healthy diet guidance, guide the elderly to maintain oral health, maintain a reasonable weight, prevent osteoporosis, reduce disease related nutritional risks. China has actively promoted the implementation of the project of combining health and medical care services for the elderly, and provided elderly people aged 65 and above with guidance on improving nutrition and other services. Contracted services for family doctors for the elderly will be provided, and eligible community-level medical and health institutions will be encouraged to include nutrition intervention for the elderly in contracted services for family doctors. Medical institutions at all levels and of all types are encouraged to strengthen the construction of clinical nutrition departments, and provide clinical nutrition services such as nutritional screening, nutritional assessment, nutritional intervention and effectiveness monitoring for hospitalized elderly patients. Local organizations where conditions permit are encouraged to carry out nutritional risk screening for the elderly, provide nutritional intervention for the elderly with nutritional risks, develop personalized dietary nutrition programs, and provide referral services for the elderly in need.

(3) Improving nutrition and health services for the elderly. Family doctors are encouraged to provide nutrition professionals to provide dietary guidance and consultation services for the elderly at home. Encourage public nutrition and clinical nutrition professionals, dietitians and other related nutrition talents to develop in the field of nutrition and health for the elderly, go into the families of the elderly and institutions related to the elderly, publicize the knowledge of nutrition evaluation and intervention for the elderly, and guide medical and nursing institutions, elderly care institutions, community canteens and tables for the elderly to provide nutritious meals suitable for the elderly. We will give full play to the role of nutrition societies and dietitians' associations at all levels, conduct training for community-level medical and health personnel, and improve their core skills in nutrition and health education and clinical nutrition intervention.

(4)Carry out public welfare activities on nutrition and health for the elderly. Social organizations, caring enterprises and other social forces were mobilized to carry out public welfare activities to distribute nutrition and health tools such as oil control POTS, salt limiting spoons, waist measurements and pedometers to the elderly. Communities (villages) and pension institutions are encouraged to select nutrition and health canteens, establish nutrition and health corners, nutrition and health cabins, and create a good environment for nutrition and health education.

3. Job requirements

(1)Raise awareness and strengthen leadership. To carry out the action to improve the nutrition of the elderly is a specific action to implement the strategy of healthy China and the national strategy of actively dealing with the aging population, and a specific measure to promote the realization of healthy aging. Local health departments (offices on aging) should attach great importance to it, strengthen organization and leadership, and incorporate the campaign to improve nutrition for the elderly into key work arrangements to ensure the smooth implementation of the campaign.

(2) Extensive mobilization and multi-party participation. We will mobilize social organizations, public welfare institutions, enterprises and public institutions, and caring people to support and participate in the campaign to improve nutrition for the elderly. We should mobilize nutrition professionals, volunteers and health representatives of the elderly to participate extensively, and strengthen media publicity to promote a healthy lifestyle for the elderly.

(3) Increase guidance to ensure effective results. Local governments should strengthen supervision, guidance and effectiveness evaluation of actions to improve nutrition for the elderly, strive to improve their nutritional and health conditions, and effectively enhance their sense of gain, happiness and security.

The campaign to improve nutrition for the elderly was organized and led by the Office of the National Working Committee on Aging and implemented by the Chinese Nutrition Society. The Chinese Society of Nutrition is responsible for guiding local governments to carry out campaigns to improve nutrition for the elderly, designing popular nutrition publicity materials for the elderly, organizing training on core nutrition and health skills for the elderly, and carrying out public welfare activities related to improving nutrition for the elderly.

Chinese Nutrition Society Contact: Li Genghua, Liu Peipei

Contact number: (010) 83554771-816

E-mail: yygs@cnsoc.org

NHC Department of Aging Contact: Meng Xue, Li Xueting

Contact number: (010) 62030627, 62030609

E-mail: lixt@nhc.gov.cn

Annex: Core Recommendations of Dietary Guidelines for Older Adults

National Office for Aging

October 8, 2022

(Information disclosure form: active disclosure)

The attachment

Dietary Guidelines for older Adults core recommendation

1.Core recommendations of general dietary guidelines for the elderly

(1) Rich variety of food, animal food is sufficient, often eat soybean products.

(2) Encourage eating together, maintain a good appetite and enjoy the delicious food.

(3) Active outdoor activities, delay muscle decay, maintain appropriate weight.

(4) Regular physical examination to assess nutritional status and prevent nutritional deficiency.

2. Core recommendations of Dietary Guidelines for the elderly

(1) A variety of food, encouraging a variety of ways to eat.

(2) Choose foods with soft texture and high energy and nutrient density.

(3) eat more fish, poultry, eggs, milk and beans, vegetables with fruit.

(4) Pay attention to weight loss, regular nutrition screening and evaluation, to prevent malnutrition.

(5) Timely and reasonable nutrition to improve the quality of life.

(6) Adhere to fitness and intellectual activities to promote physical and mental health.