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?

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

My grandad was like this, loved his food and used to eat loads.

Fried chicken and mash? Yum!

[Morloth]

Fuck it, if I get to 90, I intend to live solely on chocolate, cheese and booze. Lots and lots of booze.

[Bluebelleswood]

I have one at home just like yours. Except he is only 85. After a 3 course meal, including a pudding with custard, he still asks for "just a little piece of cake," to help him get his coffee down.
And he is slim.
He also chats up ladies of all ages in the doctors, and ingratiates himself with the neighbours in the hope of cake.

[cory]

MidniteScribbler Fri 25-Jan-13 01:11:03
"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! "

I love your grandmother!

[starfishmummy]

A lot of elderly people are borderline malnourished because they don't eat enough.
Doesn't sound like that is a problem with him, so as long as there are no health issues, then let him enjoy his food

[Bluebelleswood]

Cailinsalach, he also uses the same argument re. Hating waste, before he eats whatever left overs he stumbles across. Eg 6 mince pies in a cake tin. (" they go off you know".
Why oh why didn't I inherit his metabolism.?

[Bluebelleswood]

Midnight, my grandma used to do that, but she explained it was because she was Welsh. I was disappointed, on a trip to Wales when I was 10, to discover that the rest of the Welsh didn't do it too!

[Bluebelleswood]

)

[EldritchCleavage]

Oh you lucky thing, you've got a healthy, happy father. Cherish it every single day, seriously.

[AuntieMaggie]

Sorry OP but this made me giggle - especially the 93 year old that likes macdonalds! :o

[YellowTulips]

Can I come and eat at yours? The food you cook sounds wonderful :-)

Promise food fidelity - no sneaking off for fruit cake next door!

[DreamingOfTheMaldives]

Send him round to my house for tea and cake. I love baking but my husband doesn't have a sweet tooth so I just end up eating it all, therefore I don't bake very often.

I do take some to the homeless shelter though if the baking urge takes over.

[fedupwithdeployment]

My Dad (71) has been told to shape up by his Dr....so he is on the 5/2 diet, stuffing his face for the 5 days....I am not sure he has quite cottoned on to how it works! If he wants to get to 90, he is going to have to take it a bit mroe seriously.

[halcyondays]

If I was 90 and somebody suggested I should think of my future health, I would laugh too.

[Pandemoniaa]

I have suggested he consider his future health, but he just laughed

Quite right too. I remember a social worker getting very snarky about my 92 year old grandfather's insistence on smoking 2 cigarettes per day because of his future health. He gave her a scornful look and replied "look here, Missis. I'm 92. I'll take the risk of it cutting my life short".

[Psammead]

I plan to take up smoking in a big way once I hit 85. Fag and a cream cake for breakfast, fried everything and a joint for lunch, afternoon munchies for popcorn and cheese on toast, dinner of wine, fags and a full roast.

Can't bloody wait.

[Pandemoniaa]

PS. If I'm lucky enough to live to 90 it's to be hoped that disgraceful living is a major contributor.

[nickelbabe]

I think it's great.

I'm fed up of old people who don't eat enough (or drink enough for that matter) and then end up ill because of it.

good on your dad

[FannyFifer]

Your dad an come for tea and cakes at mines anytime. He sounds great.

You sound like you adore him as well.

[FurryDogMother]

I wish my Dad (85) would eat like that! He did up until he broke his hip last September, but since then (although he's fully recovered in other ways) his appetite has shrunk, and it's difficult to get enough into him - and yep, he's losing weight. Dr said he should be eating little and often, so I'm doing my best (am currently staying with him and looking after him) to make sure that's what he does, but he's pretty resistant (though is supplementing the solids with copious amounts of vodka and white wine!). I'm just worried that when I go home for a few weeks he'll stop eating altogether and just drink. Can't get him to go out - not even for important appointments unless I'm here and 'make' him, so it's all a bit of a worry. It'd be so much easier if we lived in the same country, but we don't, so my time here is limited, and am an only child, so no one else to take over when I go back to see my husband for a while.

So, OP, your dad sounds as though he's doing brilliantly - but would hate to have your grocery bill!

[degutastic]

What a legend [bgrin] long may he eat, drink, chat up the girls and practice cake infidelity

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.

HA!

[ComposHat]

long may he eat, drink, chat up the girls

I was wondering at what age to you stop being a lecherous old git and start being a silver haired old charmer?

I asked a colleague at work and she said 'when they are too old to do anything about it'

[BadgersRetreat]

my granddad is 94 and has a very healthy appetite still. He's not very mobile these days but still eats lots and is quite skinny.

he also likes a pint of bitter with his lunch, a glass of wine with dinner and a whisky before bed

[MusicalEndorphins]

I am so glad to hear this to tell the truth. So many elders get anemic from dinners of tea and toast!