Grant: Project Grant

Background: Obesity is defined by excess body fat, which can lead to health problems. It's hard to prevent and treat obesity, possibly because the common way to measure it, called Body Mass Index (BMI), is a poor measure. BMI doesn't directly measure body fat or consider health risks. It also doesn't look at how weight changes over time. This study aims to find better ways to measure obesity and understand its effects on health. Objectives: 1.To describe how common early signs of obesity ("preclinical obesity") and more severe obesity ("clinical obesity") are among middle-aged and older adults in Canada. 2.To study how body size changes from early to older adulthood and its link to obesity. 3.To understand how early and severe obesity affect the risk of death and the use of healthcare services. 4.To examine if these associations are different in subgroups of the population. Methods and Expected Outcomes: We will follow a group of adults aged 45-85 from the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) and use health data from several provinces. This study will use new definitions of obesity that include body fat and health problems. We will track changes in body size over time and use statistical models to study the risk of death and healthcare use. We will also look at differences by sex, gender, income, and other factors. This study is possible because we now have access to large, linked datasets. Our experienced team will use this data to provide new insights into obesity. The results will help improve clinical care and public health practices to prevent obesity and improve the health of older adults in Canada.