nakagawa was on the borderline of undernutrition. young bodies efficiently build muscles and blood vessels when given protein. but this ability declines with age. elderly people need more protein than younger people to maintain their strength. undernutrition leads to a greater risk of injury and disease. a study by the health and labor ministry found roughly 20% of elderly people who think they're healthy are actually undernourished. >> translator: when protein levels are reduced, muscles get weaker and people tend to dehydrate more. dehydration increases the risk of bone fractures in a fall and becoming bedridden. >> reporter: the city in kitagushu in southern japan has a significant aging population. in july this year the local government began to address the issue of undernutrition. people trained to give dietary advice pay visits to elderly people in their homes. first they take measurements of height and weight to find whether that person is tending toward malnutrition. toward mall nutrition. next, they interview them about thei