BACKGROUND: Mean body weight gradually increases with age. Yet, little data exists on the prevalence of excess weight in populations aged 80  years or older. Moreover, little is known about predictors of @entity2973 and @entity28 in old age. Thus, the purpose of this study was: To present data on the prevalence of excess weight in old age in Germany, to investigate predictors of excess weight in a cross-sectional approach and to examine factors affecting excess weight in a longitudinal approach. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 1,882 individuals aged 79  years or older. The course of excess weight was observed over 3  years. Excess weight was defined as follows: Overweight (25  kg/m(2)    <=   BMI   <   30  kg/m(2)) and @entity28 (BMI   >=    30  kg/m(2)). We used fixed effects regressions to estimate effects of time dependent variables on BMI, and @entity2973 or @entity28 , respectively. RESULTS: The majority was @entity2973 (40.0  %) or @entity28 (13.7  %). Cross-sectional regressions revealed that BMI was positively associated with younger age, severe @entity73 and negatively associated with @entity73 . Excess weight was positively associated with younger age, elementary education, @entity73 and physical inactivity, while excess weight was negatively associated with @entity73 . Longitudinal regressions showed that age and severely impaired walking disabilities reduced BMI. The probability of transitions to excess weight decreased considerably with older age and occurrence of severe @entity73 ( @entity2973 ). CONCLUSIONS: Marked differences between predictors in cross- and longitudinal setting exist, underlining the complex nature of excess weight in old age.

Prevalence and determinants of @entity2973 and XXXX in old age in Germany.

@entity73 :: ('MESH:D003072', 'Disease') :: ['walking impairments', 'cognitive impairment', 'cognitive impairments'] @entity28 :: ('MESH:D009765', 'Disease') :: ['obese', 'obesity'] @entity2973 :: ('MESH:D050177', 'Disease') :: ['overweight']
@entity28 :: (MESH:D009765,Disease) :: ['obesity']
