title: Body mass index, life-style, and healthy status in free living elderly people in Menorca Island.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the BMI, life-style, and healthy status, and explore relationships between these parameters, among Menorca's free living elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey carried out in Menorca Island in 2009. A random sample (n=450) of the elderly population (≥65 years) was interviewed. Anthropometric measurements and a general questionnaire incorporating questions related to socio-demographic and life-style factors and health status were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately five per cent of elders were underweight and 60% overweight or obese. Underweight were positively and overweight and obesity negatively affected by age. The prevalence of central obesity, according to the WC cut-off points, was 66.8% in men and 85.1% in women. Low education, socioeconomic status and physical activity were risk factors for malnutrition and overweight/obesity. A possible cognitive impairment was found among elderly persons with BMI<22 kg/m2. A J-shaped association between BMI and hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, heart failure and other CV diseases, a U-shaped relation between BMI and diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and chronic bronchitis, and an inverted J-shape between BMI and gastric ulcer, osteoporosis and bone fractures, cancer, and prostatitis (in men) were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both low and high BMI are associated with a wide range of prevalent conditions and diseases in Menorca elderly men and women.
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferra
authors.forename: M Del Mar
authors.initials: Mdel M
authors.lastname: Bibiloni
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Zapata
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tur
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires