Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To characterize the age variations of fatness pattern in Spanish women

Research methods and procedures:: A cross-sectional study of 2226 Spanish women (16 to 74 years old) women was undertaken to study age variations in adiposity, body composition, obesity and central fat distribution. The women were divided into seven groups: Group I (G I, 15–24 years), Group II (G II, 25–34 years), Group III (G III, 35–44 years), Group IV (G IV, 45–54 years), Group V (G V, 55–64 years), Group VI (G VI, 65–74) and Group VII (G VII, > 74 years). Body composition measures were obtained, and regional fat and lean mass patterns were characterized with the use of electrical bioimpendance (BIA) (Body Composition Analyzer BC-418MA TANITA). Significant differences were assessed with Student’s t test and ANOVA adjusting for age and BMI.

Results: A significant increasing age trend was observed in adiposity and body fat composition measures. Women in G I had significantly lower means compared with those in G V and above. However, there was no significant age trend in lean mass measurements and a significant decrease was observed in group VII. The results revealed that significantly more women in G I-G III (45.8%) were normal weighted (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), while significantly more women in G IV and above were overweighed (BMC≥25) and obese (BMI≥30). Age had significant positive correlations with measures of adiposity and body fat composition. This significant positive impact of age remained even after controlling for the effect of BMI.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the present investigation revealed that among Spanish women there is a significant positive age trend in adiposity and body fat composition, which is independent of overall adiposity (BMI). However, with ageing, muscle trends to decrease. Furthermore, with increasing age, there is a trend of increasing levels of overweight and obesity.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.