What geriatric syndrome is characterized by decreased appetite and food intake?

The most appropriate choice is that the syndrome characterized by decreased appetite and food intake is indeed anorexia of aging. This condition specifically refers to a gradual reduction in appetite that many older adults experience, which often leads to unintended weight loss and can have significant implications for their nutrition and overall health. Anorexia of aging is particularly important to recognize, as it can stem from a variety of factors, including physiological changes, medication side effects, and psychosocial issues, all influencing the desire to eat.

In contrast, dynapenia refers to the age-related loss of muscle strength, which, while contributing to overall health decline, does not directly correlate with decreased appetite or food intake. Starvation-related malnutrition occurs as a result of extreme food deprivation rather than a natural aging process, which again makes it distinct from anorexia of aging. Not all of these conditions collectively describe the characteristic of decreased appetite, thus reinforcing that the primary syndrome aligning directly with that symptom is anorexia of aging.