title: Body Mass Index Trajectories among Middle-Aged and Elderly Canadians and Associated Health Outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether there is heterogeneity in the development of BMI from middle-age onward is still unknown. The primary aim of this study is to analyze long-term obesity and how BMI trajectories are associated with health outcomes in midlife.
  
  
  METHODS
  Latent Class Growth Modelling was used to capture the changes in BMI over time. In this study, 3070 individuals from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), aged 40-55 years at baseline, were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four BMI trajectory groups, "Normal-Stable" (N-S), "Overweight-Stable" (OV-S), "Obese I-Stable" (OB I-S), and "Obese II-Stable" (OB II-S), were identified. Men, persons of White ancestry, and individuals who had no postsecondary education had higher odds of being in the latter three groups. Moreover, members of the OV-S, OB I-S, and OB II-S groups experienced more asthma, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cognitive impairment, and reduced self-rated overall health. Individuals in the OB II-S group were at greater risk for back problems, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, and emotional issues when compared to the N-S group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding different BMI trajectories is important in order to identify people who are at the highest risk of developing comorbidities due to obesity and to establish programs to intervene appropriately.
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Yanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roebothan
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colbourne
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maddalena
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Peizhong Peter
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3V6.
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors