to think an elderly man should only eat tiny meals?

[Cailinsalach]

My eats like a horse. Today he had 2 weetabix a boiled egg, tea and toast for breakfast. Tea and homemade soda bread for elevenses, 2 big bowls of homemade soup, fried chicken, mash and buttered swede and then a bowl of ovenbaked rice pudding for lunch. An apple and half a bag of liquorice allsorts for afternoon snack, a bacon butty, fruit cake and carrot cake and a pint of tea for his tea. He has just mullered the other half bag of liquorice all sorts and is talking about a mug of cocoa as it's near his bedtime.

AIBU to think at 90 the norm for his ilk is Complan and Werthers?

He pulls the half starved orphan routine (complete with quivering lip) if I suggest cutting back on the baking...He then tells me he is doing me a favour eating all the cakes, pies and buns as it would be a mortal sin to allow them to go stale.

Maybe he has worms?

Well op hes got to 90 on his diet, leave him alone to enjoy he rest of his life. He does not need silly diets now

MsVestibule Thu 24-Jan-13 21:13:08
That's appalling! He'll never reach old age eating like that.

^ This made me laugh! :)

Oh leave the sod alone.

I have always eaten a lot - I mean a lot. I don't put on weight and now I have lymphoma - I have to eat lots of empty calories. I am sitting in bed now eating Haribou rings off my fingers.

He sounds healthy and good appetite is a sign of health...

Bloody hell even if he's over weight I'd let him eat what he likes at 90!

My Mum is a carer....visiting elderly people at home and she is always saying how much a lot of them eat! She reels off their menus to me.

Future health pah! At ninety I think you've earned your eating without watching the calories badge.

I don't know about your illness Punkatheart, but when I am ill I eat empty calories as much as possible as they make me puke the least. Sweets and chocolate, cereal bar only to take the heavy on your stomach meds.

So fat now, it sucks.

Future health at 90? Fucking Hell at that age I wouldn't be buying under ripe bannanas at that age, let alone worrying about my future health.

Anyway if I made it to 90 I wouldn't be eating bananas. The only fruit I would consume would be the lemon in G&Ts I will be drinking all day long.

He should be enjoying every scrap and denying himself nothing at his age. By the sounds of it, it's doing him good.

i like the cut of his jib OP!
long may he eat like a horse (just avoid burgers or he will not just be eating like a horse....you dont shop at Tesco do you?)

Tesco Neigh, neigh and thrice neigh!

I shop at Lidl.

I wouldn't eat one of tesco's horse burgers, but I do enjoy my Lidl pony burgers.

My Dear Old Dad (76) is a very fit and healthy diabetic. But he gets up, has his bran flakes "with a few raisins" and tea and toast.
Then when I go for breakfast, he's whittering on about What do you want for lunch? rifling about in the freezer.
I'm "whaat" rubbing my eyes.

Yes I get the lip at the denial of carrot cake or fruit cake (he doesn't have a sweet tooth really, I think it's an act)

He has a few boiled sweets squirreled away for diabetic emergencies.
He walks more than your average postman and is built like a hatstand.

What are you worried about - that he's eating through your inheritance

He sounds fab - get baking!

Compo

If he's well, healthy and has energy to enjoy life at 90, then all power to his cake lifting elbow.

But why did you ask? are you concerned for his health/weight? or just thought older people always eat less? Are you worried about food costs? I know our budget would struggle to keep up with an extra person eating that much!

My grandmother used to eat dessert before her main meal. She said that if she died during the meal she didn't want to miss dessert!

He sounds bored to be honest.

My Dad is 81 and if he didn't keep as active as he does (he has an amazing social life) he would probably do nothing other than eat and watch TV.

Does he have/is he able to have a busy social life?

Your da sounds fab! Long may he continue. My grandad was like this (although he gave up smoking at 90 because he thought it wasn't doing him much good anymore......he started at 11 apparently!)

My mum's 87 and has a verh good appetite, similar to your dad, OP. My mil, 88, has a tiny appetite and seems hardly to eat enough to keep a flea alive.
Nevertheless both of these elderly ladies are fit and well (or as well as can be expected when you're on the wrong side of 85). My point is, their eating habits work for them and don't appear to have done/be doing them any harm. Your dad's fine.

Goodness, why are you bothered? He sounds fine, as long as it's doing him no harm leave the poor sod be.

Sounds great OP.
I was for the man who feels he needs to keep his weight down because he uses a wheelchair.

My 93 year old FIL has just discovered McDonalds - he is always out and about, and is well chuffed that he can get a Big Mac and chips in town. He seems to be eating them every day recently

He also LOVES grape Fanta (my DS introduced him to this one...)

Yum!

I tell you what....if I get to 90 I'm gonna stuff my face! With whatever I fancy. (Which will be junk food and cake based on my current diet).