Page 37 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

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1. member 2. member 3. member 4. member 5. member 6. member 7. member Average
CHO (%) Protein (%) Fat (%) Sugars (%) Saturated fatty acids (%)
Figure 3: Energy proportions of nutrients consumed by individual
participants.

Discussion
Community participants have a set schedule with breakfast at 7:30 a.m., lunch 37
at 12:30 p.m., and dinner at 8:00 p.m., meaning that five to seven hours pass be-
tween meals. Skupaj za zdravje (2023) emphasizes that a regular eating sched-
ule is crucial for health, as it helps overcome hunger and prevents unhealthy
snacking. They recommend three main meals and two snacks a day, with inter-
vals of three to five hours. The therapeutic community’s schedule is not ideal, eating habits in therapeutic community
as the intervals between meals are too long, leading to overeating during main
meals, which are energy-dense, containing excess protein and fat, but insuffi-
cient carbohydrates.
The body composition of participants showed that they have a good nu-
tritional status, with an average BMI of 26.51 kg/m², which classifies them as
overweight according to the World Health Organisation (2021). The percent-
ages of body fat (19.43%) and visceral fat (4.79) are within recommended rang-
es, while muscle mass is above average (65.47 kg). Excessive muscle mass is a
sign of a physically active lifestyle and can be considered a positive indicator
of health. We observed a strong, positive correlation between BMI and viscer-
al fat and high lean mass, which suggests that BMI alone may be a good indi-
cator of nutritional status.
The average offered menu in the community provides 9642.4 kJ (2295.8
kcal), while the amount consumed is 13027.4 kJ (3101.8 kcal), which is at the low-
er end of the daily energy requirements (13770.3 kJ or 3278.6 kcal).
The average percentage of energy intake was 16% for protein, 27% for fat,
of which 8 % were saturated fatty acids, and 57% for carbohydrates, of which
10% were simple sugars.
Nutritional value of the participants aligns with recommendations. The
consumed food exceeds the recommended values for cholesterol and sodium
but meets the requirements for calcium and dietary fibre. Based on the ana-
lysed menus using the OPEN program, their nutritional value could be im-
proved with a few changes. Adding an afternoon snack, such as nuts and fresh