Obesity in an ageing society: implications for health, physical function and health service utilisation

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic disease defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, to the extent that health may be impaired (1). This excess fat mass is thought to lead to a chronic, low grade inflammation which is associated with an increased risk of ill-health such as metabolic and cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, decreased physical function, and some cancers (2). Obesity prevalence has risen dramatically worldwide over the past 3-4 decades and is now considered a global epidemic (1, 3). Several societal factors have contributed to the rapid spread of obesity such as increasingly sedentary lifestyles and the widespread availability of energy dense foods in combination with a so-called ‘obesogenic environment’. However, the impact of obesity on health is complex, and differs, for example, according to age, sex and the trajectory of changes in body weight over time (