Change in height, weight and body mass index: Longitudinal data from the HUNT Study in Norway

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse changes in body weight and height, and the changes in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Design: Prospective population based study with 11-year follow-up. Subjects: Norwegian men (n ¼ 21565) and women (n ¼ 24337) aged 20 years or more who participated in two health surveys, the first in 1984-1986 and the other in 1995-1997. Measurements: Height and weight were measured by using standardised procedures at both surveys, and we computed body mass index (BMI) as weight in kilo divided by the squared value of height in meters. Results: Participants who were younger than 50 years at the first survey showed a large increase in body weight, and men and women aged 20-29 years increased their weight with an average of 7.9 kg and 7.3 kg, respectively. Contradictory, participants who were 70 years or older had on average a weight loss. The prevalence of overweight (BMI ¼ 25.0-29.9 kg/m 2 ) and obesity (BMIX30 kg/m 2 ) increased between the surveys, especially in the youngest age groups. Overall, the proportion classified as obese increased from 6.7 to 15.5% among men and from 11.0 to 21.0% among women. Some of this increase was due to a reduction in height, which was most pronounced in the oldest age groups. Conclusion: During approximately 10 years, body weight increased in all age groups below 70 years, and the prevalence of overweight and obese persons was approximately 20% higher at the second survey compared with the first survey.

Changes in weight and waist circumference over 9 years in a Scottish population

“…This study demonstrates a large increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this Glasgow population between 1991 and 2000, consistent with recent data from other European countries (Berg et al, 2005;Drøyvold et al, 2006), Changes in weight and WC in a Scottish population M Ebrahimi-Mameghani et al the United States (Fine et al, 1999) and Australia (Ball et al, 2003). While significantly fewer women than men maintained a stable weight over the 9-year period, we found no significant difference between the genders, in either age cohort, in the mean 9-year weight change or mean BMI.…”

“…We Changes in weight and WC in a Scottish population M Ebrahimi-Mameghani et al did not investigate the role of behavioural factors known to impact on weight (for example, dietary intake, physical activity and smoking status) in this analysis, which would have provided further information to inform the development of effective strategies to prevent weight gain and promote weight maintenance. Nevertheless, the age-related weight gain patterns reported in this study are consistent with those reported in other populations (Ball et al, 2003;Drøyvold et al, 2006). The general similarities in weight gain across occupational groups seen in this study suggest that insidious weight gain is a widespread problem that crosses all social boundaries.…”

Level of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in a rural adult population in Sogn og Fjordane

“…For women, BMI is lower compared to data from the HUNT study (35) and the Tromsø study (36). For men, the BMI results are in line with the HUNT data in both age-groups and slightly higher compared to the Tromsø data for the 53-55-year-olds.…”

Longer time after bariatric surgery and sedentary leisure modify anthropometric parameters, body composition and sarcopenic obesity markers in women

“…Some authors point to a decrease in SMM and Ap SMM as age increases 11 , and this is an important factor associated with sarcopenic obesity. In our study, age was not significantly different between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic groups and did not correlated with residual Ap SMM.…”

“…Sedentary lifestyle is an important risk factor related to weight gain and the decrease in SMM 10 . Obese people tend to be less physically active when compared with normal weight people, which could contribute to decreased mugenescle strength 11 . Thus, general muscle loss can lead to a reduction in Resting Metabolic Rate and the reduction of energy expenditure during exercise and daily physical activities, which may further aggravate the sedentary state, and the accumulation of fat mass 2,12 .…”