Objectives: This study provides updated data on body composition in adult Spanish women.
Methods: We considered data, including height and weight, from a survey conducted on a total of 4,013 adult women between 2009 and 2010. A subgroup of 2,224 women completed a bioelectrical body impedance analysis of body composition using a Tanita Body Composition Analyzer (Model no. BF-418).
Results: Total fat mass (FM) gradually increased between 18 and 74 years of age and decreased thereafter. FM increased in both legs between 65 and 74 years of age (5.69 ± 1.4 Kg and 5.66 ± 1.4 Kg for right and left legs, respectively) and decreased thereafter. FM in the right arm increased until 44 years of age (1.22 ± 2.6 Kg), decreased to 1.19 ± 0.5 Kg between 45 and 54 years of age, and increased to 1.54 ± 0.63 from 65 to 74 years of age. FM in the left arm increased constantly until it reached a peak of 1.63 ± 0.6 Kg between 65 and 74 years of age and decreased thereafter. FM increased in the trunk throughout life (peaks at 13.27±3.8 Kg) until subjects reached between 65 and 74 years of age. Fat free mass increased until 44 years of age (42.42 ± 4.17 Kg) and decreased thereafter. The prevalence of overweight/obesity significantly increased with age in the entire sample.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that age-related increases in weight were at least partially due to increased adiposity.
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