Seniors and Baby Boomers are statistically most likely to see the pandemic as a major threat to their health, just one issue among many in 2020. Amica Senior Lifestyles decided to look into this issue further to understand the impact the pandemic has had on the lives of seniors in America and Canada in a new study.
When asked about their food choices, 3 in 10 (30%) said that they are now eating more plant-based food due to the pandemic. On the other side, 21% said they were eating more meat, with the remainder unchanged in their meat choices.
In addition to this, 59% said that they were now eating healthier, with only 7% eating more junk food since the pandemic began.
Almost half (48%) also revealed that they had tried food delivery services since April 2020.
Overall, 88% of seniors and Baby Boomers polled said they intend to stick with some element of their food choices into 2021.
Mary Purdy, MS, RDN, Integrative and Functional Eco-Dietitian discussed the plant-based trend in older generations:
“I see the growing interest of older individuals in plant based foods as a natural response to both their current lifecycle and the trends that are buzzing in the news. Many may be working with current or increased risk of cardiometabolic issues (hypertension, elevated cholesterol, higher blood sugars) which copious amounts of research consistently indicate can be mitigated by increasing plant proteins.”
“Additionally, they may surmise that it is a way for them to take part in more eco-friendly practices that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a nod to the younger generation who are being left with a bit of a mess of a planet. Lastly, digestion slows down as we age and the fiber contained in many plant based foods is often a friend to someone who might need a little support in that department. Nothing like a bean burger to help move things along.”
You can see the results of the survey relating to plant-based food and food habits here: https://www.amica.ca/conversations/baby-boomers-seniors-coronavirus-statistics#lockdown
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Notes to Editors
Amica Senior Lifestyles (https://www.amica.ca/) is setting a new standard for senior living in Canada by combining unparalleled premium hospitality and amenities with expert care and support to deliver a personalized senior living experience. Committed to enriching the lives of seniors now and as their needs change, Amica offers independent living, assisted living and memory care lifestyle options. Established in 1996, the company owns and operates 31 residences in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, with plans to continue expansion in select markets.
For inquiries relating to this release, please contact George Driscoll at g.driscoll@amica.ca.
METHODOLOGY
A representative group of 1,409 Baby Boomers and seniors from the USA and Canada were polled on behalf of Amica Senior Lifestyles, using Amazon’s online survey platform, Mechanical Turk. Survey responses were fielded in September and October 2020. They were asked a variety of questions relating to their lifestyle changes during and after the global pandemic.
The age breakdown of our survey sample was as follows:
- 55-64 (24.6%)
- 65-74 (70.8%)
- 75-84 (3.8%)
- 85+ (0.9%)
High-res graphics and data visualizations located here for download: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1p2DJNmidptz7E3CAqhIs0cdHNrYsqpKS?usp=sharing
