Dieting after the age of 75 is unlikely to make any difference to our health. The Daily Mail reports that scientists from Penn State, Pennsylvania, have found that older people who followed a high-fat or high-sugar diet are unlikely to suffer heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. The scientists followed the diets of 449 pensioners aged around 76 years old.The dietary habit of each participant was evaluated by placing them in three dietary groups. The “sweet and dairy” pattern for those who got energy from milk and dairy-based desserts. The “health conscious pattern” which included rice, fish and vegetables. The “western pattern” included bread, fried foods and alcohol. Professor Gordon Jensen, who was part of the team that conducted the study, said: “The results suggest that if you live to be this old, then there may be little to support the use of overly restrictive dietary prescriptions, especially where food intake may already be inadequate.”