Increasing life expectancy will see the proportion of the world's
population aged over 60 years increase from 11% to 22% by 2050,
whilst those aged over 80 years will increase fourfold [1].
Increasing age corresponds with increasing prevalence of chronic
disease, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD), thus
posing critical challenges to health systems and policies [2,3].
Collectively these conditions contribute most (30%) to burden of
disease in Australasia [4] and share common risk and protective
factors [5,6]. A better understanding of the elements which
contribute to the prevention of chronic disease and successful ageing in older persons is therefore warranted, with diet suggested
to be a key influence on disease prevention and health
maintenance.