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Ikebe K, Morii K et al. Int J Prosthodont 2006; 19: 539–546

In elderly people, an inability to masticate food may affect nutritional status. This study investigated 807 independent subjects aged 60+ yrs in a Japanese community, who were interviewed and examined. Normal Body Mass Index (BMI; 20-25) was present in 70%, 13% were underweight and 17% were overweight.

There were no significant correlations between BMI and either masticatory performance measured by concentration of glucose exuded from standardised chewing of gummy jellies, or maximal occlusal force. However, when subjects with the poorest masticatory performance were considered in regression analysis, they were significantly more likely to be underweight (OR = 1.98). Similarly, lower occlusal force was associated with being overweight (1.82). There were no associations with tooth number or type of dentition.