Relist: I still need help.
I did not ask the question properly. I was too general. This matter is about my mother who was considered by her physician to be obese: she was about 4'11" and weighed 155 to 160 lbs. She will eat nearly anything we give her, so poor apetite is no problem. She is 94 years old, and has Alzheimers that progresses very slowly, and is otherwise in good health.

After being hydrated at a hospital she went into a nursing home at 171 lbs. The dietition put her on a high calorie diet under the assumption that people over 80 do not absorb nutrients well and need more in order to prevent illnesses. (Note: Since age 80 my mother ate a normal diet and was never ill.) My mother gained 14 lbs in 5 weeks and the dietition still insisted on the high caloric foods. My question is, is it considered good practice to give an obese 94 year old woman who is otherwise healthy an increase in caloric intake in order to prevent illness? Is there evidence showing that increased nutritional intake leads to greater absorption of nutrients than a normal weight-maintanence diet in people over 80 years old? If there are benefits to such diet, do they outweigh the health risks that come with a sudden and probably sustained weight gain?