Every statistic and factual statement on this site is listed here with its source and the limits of what it shows. We would rather tell you what a study cannot say than overstate it.
Malnutrition risk in sheltered housing
A BAPEN-led study screened 335 tenants of sheltered housing in northern and southern England using the MUST tool. 14% were at medium or high risk of malnutrition and 24% had a BMI over 30. The report recommends screening that is linked to an action plan.
Keep in mind: Published in 2009, a small sample from two regions, and sheltered housing is not the same as a retirement village. It shows that nutrition risk exists in this setting, not how common it is in any one community.
Protein intake in older UK adults
In a food-diary study of 256 UK adults aged 65-89, fewer than 15% met the 1.2 g per kg per day older-adult recommendation, and fewer than half met the standard UK figure of 0.75 g per kg per day.
Keep in mind: One study of a particular sample. Individual needs differ, and the right amount for any one person is a question for them and their GP or dietitian.
Eating alone and nutrition
A 2025 systematic review of studies of community-living adults aged 65 and over found that eating alone was associated with poorer diet quality, lower intake of fruit, vegetables and protein-rich foods, and a higher risk of weight loss and frailty. An earlier scoping review mapped 98 articles on the topic.
Keep in mind: Most included studies were cross-sectional, so this shows an association, not that eating alone causes poorer nutrition. Low income, illness and bereavement can sit behind both.
Loneliness in retirement villages
The ILC-UK report Village Life (2015) found average loneliness among retirement village residents of about 12%, compared with about 23% among people in the wider community.
Keep in mind: The research was funded by two retirement-living providers. Independent work reported in The Conversation found residents may have more social interactions but not necessarily less loneliness, and that friendships do not form automatically. We use it only to explain why organised, shared activities matter.
Vitamin D
The NHS advises a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter, and all year round for people who are rarely outdoors, including those in care homes.
Keep in mind: This is general NHS advice. Anyone unsure about supplements, or taking medicines, should ask their GP or pharmacist.
Skin carotenoids as a marker of carotenoid status
Skin carotenoid levels measured by resonance Raman spectroscopy have been evaluated as a biomarker of carotenoid status in human studies. The scanner measures skin carotenoids and gives a personal score that tends to rise with more antioxidant-rich nutrition.
Keep in mind: The scanner is a wellness tool, not a diagnostic test. The score says nothing about any specific condition, and a change in it is not evidence that a treatment or medicine is working.
Nutrition and Hydration Week
Nutrition and Hydration Week 2027 runs from 15 to 21 March.
Keep in mind: Dates are as announced by the organisers at the time of writing.
Health data and consent
Information about a person’s health is special category data under UK data protection law. Processing it needs a lawful basis and a separate condition, and explicit consent must be freely given, specific, opt-in and withdrawable.
Keep in mind: This is a summary of regulator guidance, not legal advice.