Age–Related Differences in Body Composition in Egyptian Obese Females

Abstract

Background: Body composition changes with age are of interest. They related to various health problems, excess accumulation of fat increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine age differences in body composition among Egyptian obese females. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 600 obese females, 300 young (median age=19 yr) and 300 older (median age=40 yr). Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences and body composition were measured. Results: Older obese females had a significantly higher values of waist to hip ratio, fat mass (FM) and body fat mass percentage (FM%) than younger obese females. On the other hand, they had a significantly lower values of fat free mass (FFM) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) as compared to younger females. Conclusions: The study showed that proportion of fat mass is different between young and older obese females, although they had similar BMI. The greater decrease in FFM in older obese females might suggest loss of skeletal muscle mass.