C.P.G.M. de Groot, W. A. van Staveren

Correspondence: Department of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Bode 154, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HO Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Phone: 00 32 317 48 25 77. Fax: 00 32 317 48 27 82. Email: Lisette.degroot@staff.nutepi.wau.nl

Screening tools and more extensive assessment methods have signaled that malnutrition is common in institutionalized elderly. There are multiple factors - physiologic and non-physiologic - which hereby increase the risk of negative energy balance leading to weight loss and subsequent undesirable outcomes. Addressing this problem a number of controlled intervention studies have shown positive effects of 'simple' nutrition interventions in institutionalized older persons.