Nutritional Status of Adults in the United States As the number of older adults in the United States increases, the demands on the food system will change. The US Census Bureau projects that by 2050 the population will grow by another 110 million people to 392 million (2010). The median age increased from 34.0 in 1994 to 37.2 in 2010. It is expected to peak at 39.1 in 2035. The older population, 65 years and older, is expected to increase from 12, 4% in 2000 to 20.7% in 2050. is growing fastest among those 85 and older. Racial minority groups, African Americans, Indian/Alaska Natives, and Asian/Pacific Islanders are projected to increase to 27.9%, while Hispanics will increase to 24.4%, and the percentage of Whites will decrease to 50 ,1%. With the growing number of older adults making up the population, it is believed that they will be more health conscious and may have a number of diet-related health problems. This is not the first time the United States has faced national health problems. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act. This legislation came in response to claims that many American men had been rejected for military service due to diet-related health problems. School lunch was established as “a national security measure, to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage home consumption of nutritious agricultural products and other foods (Gunderson, 2013).”ChallengesThe World Health Organization Healthcare (WHO). ) indicates that health conditions associated with the aging process are arthritis, stroke, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. These health problems can be avoided...... middle of paper ......_5Nicklas, T., Jahns, L., Bogle, M., Chester, D., Giovanni, M., Klurfeld, D , Laugero, K., Liu, Y., Lopez, S., & Tucker, K., (2013). Barriers and facilitators to consumer adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: The HEALTH study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol. 113, No. 10, 1317-1330. Reed, S., Crespo, C., Harvey, W., & Andersen, R., (2011). Social isolation and physical inactivity in US older adults: Results from the third national and nutrition survey. European Journal of Sport Science, Vol. 11, no. 5, 347-353. Report of the Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans, (2010), http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htmU.S. Bureau of the Census, http://census.gov/2010census/World Health Organization (WHO), http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs135/en/