Slate's Geezer Issue One Year Later: The Senior-Citizen Cookbook

This article discuses a topic that people of all ages can relate to: food. So, how does eating change for "old people"? The author says the elderly "may eat less." Also, they "may eat more!" This all depends on how one has been living their life. Those who have "gotten good at snacking" will most probably not lose this "talent" of theirs, as the author puts it. This just goes to show how some things remain timeless despite age.

The author explores the subject in such a way that makes it light yet informative. The text warns readers of the importance of getting enough nutrients while poking fun at "nutri-lingo," for example. It cautions of a weakening in one’s sense of smell that will take place, which affects the ability to distinguish flavors, which apparently inevitably leads to “nibbling at different foods […] perpetually unable to get the emotional satisfaction that you once did from any particular meal.” This poses several dangers to the elderly, such as the threat of obesity-related disorders resulting from malnutrition. What’s more, the subtle use of statistics to illustrate the presence of hypertension in the elderly also serves as forewarning for the aging.

It was interesting how the author drew a line between the young and the old. The young chefs are said to “add and add and add” while it is the old that “take and take and take.” This adds to the cautionary tone of the piece and makes readers more conscious of what they eat as they age – which may be both a bad and good thing.