Currently, Nordic welfare societies are at a crossroads. Ongoing demographic changes – such as ageing, accompanied by challenges in financing adequate services for all – have highlighted the need to consider the roles of citizens and the state in a novel way. Balancing rights and responsibilities has always been at the core of universalism, even though, traditionally, trust in the welfare state's ability to fulfil its basic function of providing necessary services for all has been strong. However, of late, subtle signs of change have become more visible, and in practice, older people's housing and care provisions have been marked by the state's withdrawal. By employing narrative analysis, this study explores, through the experiences of residents in age-related intermediate housing, how older people make use of, negotiate and embed the arguments being made in societal debates on the rights and responsibilities of ageing citizens. The accounts showcase the ways in which these narrators are able to accommodate the sometimes contradictory elements in their narration, accept the demand for increased responsibility for their later-life arrangements and construct plausible portraits of themselves as morally responsible citizens. These subtle negotiations and the acceptance of personal responsibility indicate a change in their perceptions of and expectations from the citizens and the state. Whilst the findings comprise stories of good outcomes, they also question the legitimacy of the current welfare system's universalism and its ability to guide the way to achieve equally good outcomes for all in the future.

The last few decades have witnessed a global rise in the number of older individuals. Despite this demographic shift, morbidity within this population group is high. Many factors influence healthspan; however, an obesity pandemic is emerging as a significant determinant of older people’s health. It is well established that obesity adversely affects several metabolic systems. However, due to its close association with overall cardiometabolic health, the impact that obesity has on cholesterol metabolism needs to be recognised. The aim of the present review is to critically discuss the effects that obesity has on cholesterol metabolism and to reveal its significance for healthy ageing.

Undernutrition may be an important modifiable risk factor for poor clinical outcomes in older individuals. To achieve earlier detection or prevention of undernutrition, more information is needed about risk factors for the development of undernutrition in community-dwelling older individuals. The objective was to identify early determinants of incident undernutrition in a prospective population-based study. Baseline data (1992–3) on socio-economic, psychological, medical, functional, lifestyle and social factors of 1120 participants aged 65–85 years of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam were used. Undernutrition, defined as a BMI < 20 kg/m2 or self-reported involuntary weight loss ≥  5 % in the last 6 months, was assessed every 3 years during a 9-year follow-up period. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to investigate the association between early determinants at baseline and incident undernutrition. In 9 years, 156 participants (13·9 %) developed undernutrition. In univariate analyses, female sex, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, multiple chronic diseases, high medication use (women), poor appetite, no alcohol use v. light alcohol use, loneliness, not having a partner, limitations in performing normal activities due to a health problem, low physical performance (participants aged < 75 years) and reporting difficulties walking stairs (participants aged < 75 years) were statistically significantly associated with incident undernutrition. In a multivariate model, poor appetite and reporting difficulties walking stairs (participants aged < 75 years) remained early determinants. The results of the present study can be used to identify subgroups of older individuals with increased risk of undernutrition and to identify modifiable determinants for the purpose of prevention of undernutrition.

Low intakes of fruit and vegetables have previously been reported in the older population of Great Britain, particularly among certain socio-demographic groups. Levels and patterns of consumption in the older population of Northern Ireland, however, remain unknown. A representative sample of 1000 members of the older population of Northern Ireland were contacted by telephone to assess average intake of all fruits and vegetables and various demographic details. Data from 426 individuals (representative of the whole population) reported a mean consumption of 4·0 (sd 1·3) and 4·1 (sd 1·3) portions of fruit and vegetables per weekday and per weekend day respectively. Regression analyses revealed greater consumption on weekdays by females (B 0·53; P < 0·01), younger individuals (B − 0·02; P = 0·01) and those living in less deprived areas (B − 0·01; P = 0·04), and greater consumption at weekends by females (B 0·54; P < 0·01) and younger individuals (B − 0·03; P = 0·01). The amount of fruit and vegetables consumed is slightly higher than that reported in older populations in Great Britain, possibly as a result of differences in farming practices and rural activities, although levels of consumption remain below current recommendations for health. Patterns of consumption are similar across the UK, and suggest that strategies to increase fruit and vegetable consumption should target males, older individuals and those living in more deprived areas.