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Tatar, Leslie wrote: > And, how can I get him to remember to snack and eat meals regularly. He > has a pretty busy schedule, and sometimes he won't eat anything until > 5:00 in the evening. He says he is rarely hungry, and he "forgets" to > eat. I live out of town so it's hard for me to check up on him. And, > when I do, he gets upset at me for nagging at him. Dear Leslie, Your love and concern for your father are apparent, and he surely realizes this. But his situation is complex, and nutrition is probably very low on his priority list There are two barriers to your father's nutritional health: 1) Loss of appetite 2) His own unwillingness to do anything about it. Both are likely caused by his medications and/or PD itself. Your concerns are justified. Failure to eat properly/maintain weight can lead to health problems, including: -severe weight loss is a predictor for both illness and death -loss of B vitamins can lead to confusion, behavior change, fatigue, insomnia, poor appetite (worsening his present situation), and an Alzheimer's-like dementia -lack of calcium and vitamin D can lead to bone thinning and subsequent fracture -inadequate fiber and fluids can lead to bowel impaction -inadequate fluid intake can cause dehydration, confusion, kidney failure However, there may not be much you can do, other than to keep encouraging him to eat well. Perhaps if you contact his physicians with your concerns, they might be willing to talk with him about his need for nutrients, and perhaps refer him to a registered dietitian. Let's hope that will be the case. My very best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar and NUTRITION TOPICS copy-ready handouts http://www.dietetics.com/class/fivstar/ Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538