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Change in Height, Weight, and body mass index: Longitudinal data from A ustria
Author(s) -
Peter Raphael Simon,
Fromm Ella,
Klenk Jochen,
Concin Hans,
Nagel Gabriele
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.22582
Subject(s) - hum , body mass index , anthropometry , demography , medicine , cohort , obesity , population , gerontology , body weight , weight change , weight loss , environmental health , sociology , art , performance art , art history
Objectives To quantify changes in height, weight and their compound effect on the body mass index (BMI) in a large cohort of Central‐European men and women. Methods The Vorarlberg health monitoring and prevention program (VHM&PP) is a population‐based risk factor surveillance program in Vorarlberg. Data of health examinations during January 1985 to June 2005 were available including 714,181 height and weight measurements in 185,192 persons (53.9% women). We estimated yearly percentage change of anthropometric parameters over the age range from 20 to 85 years within intervals of 5 years. Results We found that weight increased until the age of 70 years (from the age of 20 years: +24.8% in men and +27.6% in women), with the highest increase in men aged 20–25 years (1.07% per year). Height was shown to decrease starting from the age group 45–50 years. This decrease accelerated with age, and was more pronounced in women than in men. Conclusions Weight is strongly related to aging. In older individuals height loss affects BMI and masks weight loss to some degree. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 26:690–696, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.