Age, weight and obesity.
The western world is facing the consequences of higher standards of medical care and improved living conditions. While people are living longer the prevalence of overweight and obesity is escalating which increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. However it must be noted that there is a U shaped relationship between weight and mortality with both under and overweight increasing risk. This review examines possible contributory factors for overweight and obesity in older people: life style, depression, changes in body composition, endocrine alterations, sympathetic tone, oxidative stress and concomitant disease.
Internal Medicine Department, Agios Pavlos Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Martha
M
Apostolopoulou
Christos
C
Savopoulos
Konstantinos
K
Michalakis
Simon
S
Coppack
Theodoros
T
Dardavessis
Apostolos
A
Hatzitolios
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D050177:Overweight; D018384:Oxidative Stress