Over 70% of Seniors Suffer from Poor Nutrition Due to Tooth Loss; HPA Promotes Texture-Modified Diet
As Taiwan approaches a super-aged society, over 70% of the elderly face partial tooth loss, leading to malnutrition and frailty. The Health Promotion Administration is promoting "texture-modified diets" to help seniors with deteriorating oral health regain the joy of eating through softer, easy-to-chew meals.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 17:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 18:02 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 19:48 (1h 46m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Taipei, 23rd) Taiwan has officially entered a super-aged society, with over 70% of seniors facing partial tooth loss problems. This leads to poor nutrient absorption and is plagued by sarcopenia and frailty. The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) is creating "soft food power" to promote texture-modified diets, helping seniors who have difficulty eating due to oral deterioration to regain the emotional connection of dining.
The HPA held the Silver Nutrition Innovative Cuisine Competition and Earth Day Press Conference today. Director-General Shen Ching-fen pointed out that over 70% of seniors face partial tooth loss, and more than 60% restrict their food choices due to chewing or swallowing difficulties. This not only affects their quality of life but also leads to insufficient intake of nutrients like protein and dietary fiber. In recent years, the HPA has actively promoted texture-modified diets to make nutritious dishes that are easy to chew and swallow.
Liu Chia-hsiu, head of the Community Health Division at the HPA, said Taiwan became an aging society in 1993, transitioned to an aged society in 2018, and will enter a super-aged society in 2025. With the aging trend, common nutritional dietary issues among the elderly include 29.9% of seniors feeling their dental function is poor, leading to worsened nutrient absorption, which gradually causes sarcopenia, frailty, and chronic diseases.
Liu Chia-hsiu stated that according to the National Nutrition and Health Survey from 2017 to 2020 by the HPA, Taiwanese seniors have an insufficient intake of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, and a decreased intake of protein. Studies show that people who consume more plant-based foods can lower their risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 16%, and their risk of cardiovascular death by 32%, compared to those who consume less.
Liu Chia-hsiu mentioned that in recent years, cross-ministerial efforts have jointly promoted age-friendly diets, emphasizing the use of domestic seasonal local ingredients and encouraging the integration of a "plant-based diet" concept. On the premise of ensuring seniors can consume sufficient and diverse protein, following the priority of "beans, fish, eggs, meat," reducing the intake of beef and mutton which have high greenhouse gas emissions, and utilizing more whole grains and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Liu Chia-hsiu reminded that using texture-modified dietary techniques, including processing ingredients for easy entry, removing peels, cores, seeds, bones, and fish bones, or removing hard stems and coarse fibers from vegetables, and cutting ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Cooking methods can also be altered to soften ingredients, increase moisture, and use natural spices to enhance aroma, helping seniors with degenerated oral health who find it difficult to eat, to regain the joy of eating. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150423
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is the power to guard press freedom
Download CNA's 'First Hand News' APP to grasp the latest news instantly
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.
(CNA, Taipei, 23rd) Taiwan has officially entered a super-aged society, with over 70% of seniors facing partial tooth loss problems. This leads to poor nutrient absorption and is plagued by sarcopenia and frailty. The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) is creating "soft food power" to promote texture-modified diets, helping seniors who have difficulty eating due to oral deterioration to regain the emotional connection of dining.
The HPA held the Silver Nutrition Innovative Cuisine Competition and Earth Day Press Conference today. Director-General Shen Ching-fen pointed out that over 70% of seniors face partial tooth loss, and more than 60% restrict their food choices due to chewing or swallowing difficulties. This not only affects their quality of life but also leads to insufficient intake of nutrients like protein and dietary fiber. In recent years, the HPA has actively promoted texture-modified diets to make nutritious dishes that are easy to chew and swallow.
Liu Chia-hsiu, head of the Community Health Division at the HPA, said Taiwan became an aging society in 1993, transitioned to an aged society in 2018, and will enter a super-aged society in 2025. With the aging trend, common nutritional dietary issues among the elderly include 29.9% of seniors feeling their dental function is poor, leading to worsened nutrient absorption, which gradually causes sarcopenia, frailty, and chronic diseases.
Liu Chia-hsiu stated that according to the National Nutrition and Health Survey from 2017 to 2020 by the HPA, Taiwanese seniors have an insufficient intake of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, and a decreased intake of protein. Studies show that people who consume more plant-based foods can lower their risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 16%, and their risk of cardiovascular death by 32%, compared to those who consume less.
Liu Chia-hsiu mentioned that in recent years, cross-ministerial efforts have jointly promoted age-friendly diets, emphasizing the use of domestic seasonal local ingredients and encouraging the integration of a "plant-based diet" concept. On the premise of ensuring seniors can consume sufficient and diverse protein, following the priority of "beans, fish, eggs, meat," reducing the intake of beef and mutton which have high greenhouse gas emissions, and utilizing more whole grains and seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Liu Chia-hsiu reminded that using texture-modified dietary techniques, including processing ingredients for easy entry, removing peels, cores, seeds, bones, and fish bones, or removing hard stems and coarse fibers from vegetables, and cutting ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Cooking methods can also be altered to soften ingredients, increase moisture, and use natural spices to enhance aroma, helping seniors with degenerated oral health who find it difficult to eat, to regain the joy of eating. (Editor: Li Heng-shan) 1150423
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is the power to guard press freedom
Download CNA's 'First Hand News' APP to grasp the latest news instantly
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.