Association between physical activity and longitudinal change in body mass index in middle-aged and older adults

Abstract

Background In middle-aged and particularly older adults, body mass index (BMI) is associated with various health outcomes. We examined associations between physical activity (PA) and longitudinal BMI change in persons aged ≥ 50 years. Methods The sample included 5159 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 50 years (50.5% males, mean (SD) age 73.0 (10.2) years at baseline) who were enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA). Participants had information on PA within one year of baseline assessment, BMI at baseline, and potential follow-up assessments (mean (SD) follow-up 4.6 (3.7) years). Linear mixed-effect models were used to calculate the association between PA (moderate-vigorous physical activity, MVPA; and all PA composite score) and the longitudinal change in BMI, adjusted for baseline age, sex, education and medical comorbidities. In addition to interactions between years since baseline and PA, we also included 2- and 3-way interactions with baseline age to further assess whether age modifies the trajectory of BMI over time. Results We observed a decrease in BMI among participants engaging at a mean amount of PA (i.e., MVPA: 2.7; all PA: 6.8) and with a mean age (i.e., 73 years) at baseline (MVPA: estimate = -0.047, 95% CI -0.059, -0.034; all PA: estimate = -0.047, 95% CI -0.060, -0.035), and this decline is accelerated with increasing age. Participants with a mean age (i.e., 73 years) that engage at an increased amount of MVPA or all PA at baseline (i.e., one SD above the mean) do not decrease as fast with regard to BMI (MVPA: estimate = -0.006; all PA: estimate = -0.016), and higher levels of MVPA or all PA at baseline (i.e., two SD above the mean) were even associated with an increase in BMI (MVPA: estimate = 0.035; all PA: estimate = 0.015). Finally, MVPA but not all PA is beneficial at slowing BMI decline with increasing age. Conclusion PA, particularly at moderate-vigorous intensity, is associated with slower decline in longitudinal BMI trajectories. This implies that engaging in PA may be beneficial for healthy body weight regulation in middle and late adulthood.

Exploring Disparities for Obesity in Korea Using Hierarchical Age-Period-Cohort Analysis With Cross-Classified Random Effect Models

“… 31 Additionally, the pattern of high prevalence of obesity associated with physical activity before the age of 40, shifting to a lower prevalence afterwards, supports the idea that aging promotes weight gain, while physical activity can mitigate this effect. 35 36 Age-related increases in body fat percentage also need to be considered when examining BMI trends across different age groups. 37 Therefore, future longitudinal studies incorporating body composition analyses are warranted.…”

The Perception of Physical Activity / Physical Education Among University Employees

“…For middle-age adults, an association was found between body mass index (BMI) and various health outcomes. Regular PAs are recommended to maintain an optimal level of BMI (between 18.5 and 25 points); PAs with moderate and vigorous intensity are especially useful to slow the decline of BMI with increasing age (Cleven et al, 2023). A moderate association was observed for those adults with a good level of daily PA and the positive influence of this on their BMI, body image, and quality of life being (Milanović et al, 2022).…”